ENGLISH ACTIVITY

Name: Lorena Correa

Class: Academic English II
Schedule: 14:40 - 16:00 (B-101)
-Write an essay:

KISSING BUGS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

Caves have provided shelter for people throughout the years. However, have you
ever wondered if there is someone else in there besides you? In fact, there are.
According to the article A blood-sucking foe lurks in Central American caves published
by Rachel Nuwer, in Central and South American caves researchers discovered an
interesting creature known as the kissing bug. There would not be a problem coexisting
with them if they were not the Trypanosoma Cruzi transmitters.
But, what exactly a kissing bug is? Kissing bugs are blood-sucking nocturnal
insects that had lived hidden in South and Central America caves for a long time. They
still live in those caves that people use for several reasons. For example, in Guatemala
people use them for religious ceremonies. The problem about being in the same place
where kissing bugs live, is that they can transmit you the trypanosoma cruzi. Therefore,
you would get the chagas disease.
Chagas disease, as well as its symptoms, had been undetected for years, but
then researchers discovered that this malady can cause you heart and digestion
problems as it did in at least 30 percent of its victims. Kissing bugs transmit the parasite
by biting its sleeping victims near their mouth. An important fact is that in Latin America
around 9 million people carry the t. cruzi parasite.
Some researchers from the University of Vermont, the University of San Carlos
and Loyola University New Orleans visited caves in Guatemala and Belize where they
conducted 4 searches. They caught some bugs, extracted their DNA and discovered
that their victims not only can be humans but also domestic animals.
All in all, according to the information provided by Rachels article, kissing bugs
can be dangerous and transmit people and animals the chagas disease. Consequently,
its biting can lead into health problems. Therefore, the next time you are visiting a cave
you should be aware of the consequences by taking the convenient precautions or you
had better think it twice.