Are bed bugs vectors of filariasis?

Nelson, G. S.

doi:10.1016/0035-9203(63)90032-4

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…More than 45 pathogens associated with human infection and disease have been suspected to be transmitted by bed bugs [ 34 ]. Older scientific literature cited by Goddard and de Shaso [ 35 ] suggested that bed bugs may be vectors of yellow fever, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, leprosy, filariasis [ 36 ], kala azar (leishmaniasis), smallpox and HIV [ 37 , 38 ]. Yersinia pestis has also noted to develop inside the body of bed bugs, C .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competence of Cimex lectularius Bed Bugs for the Transmission of Bartonella quintana, the Agent of Trench Fever

et al. 2015

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Background Bartonella quintana, the etiologic agent of trench fever and other human diseases, is transmitted by the feces of body lice. Recently, this bacterium has been detected in other arthropod families such as bed bugs, which begs the question of their involvement in B. quintana transmission. Although several infectious pathogens have been reported and are suggested to be transmitted by bed bugs, the evidence regarding their competence as vectors is unclear.Methodology/Principal FindingsBed bugs at the adult and instar developmental stages were fed three successive human blood meals inoculated with B. quintana bacterium from day one (D1) to D5; subsequently they were fed with pathogen-free human blood until the end of the experiment. Bed bugs and feces were collected in time series, to evaluate their capacities to acquire, multiply and expel viable B. quintana using molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and cultures assays. B. quintana was detected molecularly in 100% of randomly selected experimentally infected bed bug specimens (D3). The monitoring of B. quintana in bed bug feces showed that the bacterium was detectable starting on the 3rd day post-infection (pi) and persisted until day 18±1 pi. Although immunohistochemistry assays localized the bacteria to the gastrointestinal bed bug gut, the detection of B. quintana in the first and second instar larva stages suggested a vertical non-transovarial transmission of the bacterium.ConclusionThe present work demonstrated for the first time that bed bugs can acquire, maintain for more than 2 weeks and release viable B. quintana organisms following a stercorarial shedding. We also observed the vertical transmission of the bacterium to their progeny. Although the biological role of bed bugs in the transmission of B. quintana under natural conditions has yet to be confirmed, the present work highlights the need to reconsider monitoring of these arthropods for the transmission of human pathogens.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competence of Cimex lectularius Bed Bugs for the Transmission of Bartonella quintana, the Agent of Trench Fever

et al. 2015

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“…Transmission of more than 40 human diseases has been attributed to bed bugs, but there is little evidence that such transmission has ever occurred (TABLE 2). 47,48 Older scientific literature postulated that bed bugs may be vectors of plague, yellow fever, tuberculosis, 49 relapsing fever, leprosy, filariasis, 31 kala azar (leishmaniasis), 50 cancer, 51 smallpox, 52 yellow fever, and Chagas disease (Trypanasoma cruzi). 41,53 Recently, the possibility of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission by bed bugs has been investigated.…”

Section: Bed Bugs As Vectors Of Human Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

Bed Bugs (<emph type="ital">Cimex lectularius</emph>) and Clinical Consequences of Their Bites

Goddard¹

2009

JAMA

326

359

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IMEX LECTULARIUS HAS BEEN known as a human parasite for thousands of years, but scientific studies of this insect are recent and limited. 1,2 International travel, immigration, changes in pest control practices, and insecticide resistance may have contributed to a recent resurgence of this blood-sucking insect in developed countries. 1,3 Bed bug infestations have been reported increasingly in homes, apartments, hotel rooms, hospitals, and dormitories in the United States since 1980 (TABLE 1). 1,21,22 For example, reports of bed bug infestations in San Francisco doubled between 2004 and 2006. 23 The resurgence affects other countries as well. Public health experts in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, reported a 100% increase in telephone complaints about bed bugs during a 6-month period in 2002. 4 In Germany, bed bug infestations increased from 5 reported cases in 1992 to 76 cases in 2004. 24 In Australia, bed bug samples submitted to a government public agency increased by 400% during the period of 2001-2004 compared with 1997-2000. 25 The insect family Cimicidae contains species commonly called bed bugs, See also Patient Page. CME available online at www.jamaarchivescme.com and questions on p 1391.

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“…Nematodes typically move forwards more often than backwards and this behaviour would naturally cause larvae entering a long and narrow space, such as the labium, to remain there. Nelson (1963) found that microfilariae of B. patei concentrated in the legs and tarsi of bed-bugs, an abnormal host. It may be too great a jump to compare the behaviour of one life-stage with another but even in normal vector species infective larvae are occasionally found in unusual sites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The migration of infective larvae of Brugia pahangi within the mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Lindsay

1986

Parasitology

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The course of the migration of infective larvae of Brugia pahangi within the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is described. The presence of blood or eggs in the abdomens of mosquitoes at a time when the infective larvae are beginning their migration out of the thorax leads to a significant increase in the proportion of larvae accumulating in the abdomen. The evidence supports the hypothesis that infective larvae may accumulate in the labium as a direct consequence of the insect's internal anatomy i.e. infective larvae on moving into a confined space tend to remain there. In addition, the rate at which infective larvae migrate into the labium is shown to be density dependent.

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Are bed bugs vectors of filariasis?

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Competence of Cimex lectularius Bed Bugs for the Transmission of Bartonella quintana, the Agent of Trench Fever

Competence of Cimex lectularius Bed Bugs for the Transmission of Bartonella quintana, the Agent of Trench Fever

Bed Bugs (<emph type="ital">Cimex lectularius</emph>) and Clinical Consequences of Their Bites

The migration of infective larvae of Brugia pahangi within the mosquito, Aedes aegypti

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