The Common Bed Bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Does Not Commonly Use Canines and Felines as a Host in Low-Income, High-Rise Apartments
Posted by Adam Awdish on
Single Donor Human Whole Blood from Innovative Research was used in the following study:
M. K. Black, J. G. Chandler, R. T. Trout Fryxell, K. M. Vail
Journal of Medical Entomology
April 26, 2021
The common bed bug is a pest native to many areas and feeds on warm-blooded animals such as humans, bats, birds, and rabbits. However, there have not been studies to date on bed bug feeding habits in relation to common companion animals such as dogs and cats. In this study, researchers investigated how long host DNA could be detected in common bed bugs post-feeding in a variety of different hosts. Researchers fed bed bugs blood samples from human, rabbit, cat, and dog hosts and found that host DNA could be detected in the bed bugs 21 days after feeding. Interestingly, all bed bugs that fed on dog blood died after feeding, however the host DNA was still detectable 21 days after feeding/death. These observations suggest that, even when living together, bed bugs primarily feed on humans and rarely feed on companion animals.
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