In the summer of 1899, a moral panic known as the 'kissing bug' scare swept the United States, driven by sensationalist newspaper reports of a venomous insect that supposedly attacked people while they slept, often on the lips. The panic, which began in the Northeast and spread across the country, led to widespread fear and even vigilantism, though the insect was later found to be largely harmless. The scare is a classic example of media-driven mass hysteria.

The kissing bug scare of 1899 highlights the power of the press to manufacture panic, a theme that has been explored by poets and writers critical of sensationalist journalism. The event reflects the anxieties of the Gilded Age, a period of rapid social change and urbanization, and has been used as a metaphor for irrational fears and the manipulation of public opinion. It resonates with later literary works that critique the media's role in shaping public perception and fueling moral panics.