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Colonization of C imex lectularius with M ethicillin‐resistant S taphylococcus aureus
Author(s) -
Barbarin Alexis M.,
Hu Baofeng,
Nachamkin Irving,
Levy Michael Z.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12384
Subject(s) - bed bug , biology , midgut , clearance , cimex lectularius , colonization , microbiology and biotechnology , transmission (telecommunications) , hemiptera , virology , toxicology , zoology , ecology , medicine , larva , urology , electrical engineering , engineering
Summary A recent paper published by L owe and R omney in E merging I nfectious D iseases titled, B ed bugs as V ectors for D rug‐ R esistant B acteria has sparked a renewed interest in bed bug vector potential. We followed a pyrethroid resistant strain of the human bed bug ( C imex lectularius , L .) fed either human blood or human blood with added methicillin resistant S taphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ) for 9 days post‐feeding. Results indicated that while the bed bug midgut is a hospitable environment for MRSA , the bacteria does not survive longer than 9 days within the midgut. Additionally, MRSA is not amplified within the midgut of the bug as the infection was cleared within 9 days. Due to the weekly feeding behaviours of bed bugs, these results suggest that bed bug transmission of MRSA is highly unlikely.