Open AccessA survey on the infestation levels of tropical bed bugs in Peninsular Malaysia: Current updates and status on resurgence of Cimex hemipterus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)
Author(s) -
Zulaikha Zahran,
Ab Majid Abdul Hafiz,
Abd Hafis Abd Rahim,
Ahmad Hassan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.208
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2222-1808
DOI - 10.1016/s2222-1808(15)60982-3
Subject(s) - bed bug , cimex lectularius , infestation , hemiptera , toxicology , geography , biology , ecology , horticulture
Objective: To survey current bed bugs infestation status in 11 states and federal territory in\udPeninsular Malaysia.\udMethods: Targeted sampling in the urban areas was performed and the sites in each state were\udselected based on foreign workers’ abundance and reports from pest control professionals\udin Malaysia. The collected bed bugs were classified into different strains obtained at the\udrespective sites.\udResults: Out of all 185 surveyed sites, approximately 38 of them have been actively infested\udwith one species, Cimex hemipterus (F.). A high number of collected bed bugs were found\udin the states of Perak (24.8%), Selangor (21.0%) and Kedah (16.1%). In terms of preferred\udharborages, bedding, crevices in walls and floors and cushion seats were common locations\udwith 49.2% infestation. Bed bugs were dominantly found in dormitories of foreign workers\ud(51.6%) compared to residential houses and public accommodations such as hotels and\udairports.\udConclusions: Migration activities and reused infested furniture probably were the possible\udreasons to bed bug resurgence