Click Free Pest Control Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free pest control quote today.
Homes infested by bed bugs appear to have different bacterial communities often referred to as microbiomes than homes without bed bugs, according to a first-of-its-kind study from North Carolina State University. In addition, once bed bug infestations were eradicated, home microbiomes became more similar to those in homes that didnt have bed bugs. The findings could be an important step in lifting the veil on the factors involved in indoor environmental quality and how to improve it.
Microbes can affect indoor air quality. So NCState entomologists Coby Schal and Madhavi Kakumanu wanted to learn more about the microbiomes of bed bugs, whether bed bugs can shape the microbial community in homes they infest, and whether eliminating bed bugs changes the microbiome of homes that were once infested.
The study, held in an apartment complex in Raleigh, compared the microbiomes of bed bugs with the microbiomes in the household dust of infested homes as well as the microbiomes in apartments that had no bed bugs. Nineteen infested homes were studied over the course of four months; seven were treated with heat to eliminate bed bugs after the initial sample was taken, while 12 infested homes were treated after one month. These homes were compared with 11 homes that had no bed bugs.
The results showed similarities between the microbiomes of bed bugs and the dust-associated microbiomes of infested homes, mostly through the presence of Wolbachia, a symbiotic bacterium that comprises the majority of the bacterial abundance in bed bugs. Bed bug and infested home microbiomes differed significantly from the microbial communities of uninfested homes.
There is a link between the microbiome of bed bugs and the microbiome of household dust in bed bug infested homes, said Schal, the Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NCState and co-corresponding author of the paper. No previous study has reported the impact of chronic pest infestations on indoor microbial diversity.
The study also showed that, after bed bugs were eliminated, infested home microbiomes gradually became more like those in homes without bed bugs.
The elimination of the bed bugs resulted in gradual shifts in the home microbial communities toward those of uninfested homes, Kakumanu, an NCState research scholar in Schals lab and co-corresponding author of the study, said. This paper is the first experimental demonstration that eliminating an indoor pest alters the indoor microbiome toward that of uninfested homes.
Bed bug infestations are problematic in many homes in both developed and developing countries, Schal said. There is a critical need to investigate infestations from the perspective of indoor environmental quality, and this paper represents a first step toward this end.
The study appears in Science of the Total Environment. Funding for the work came from NCStates Blanton J. Whitmire endowment, as well as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Healthy Homes program (NCHHU0017-13, NCHHU0053-19), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2013-5-35 MBE) and the National Science Foundation (DEB-1754190). Seed funds came from NCStates Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE, P30ES025128), funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
-kulikowski-
Note to editors: An abstract of the paper follows.
Bed bugs shape the indoor microbial community composition of infested homes Authors: Madhavi L. Kakumanu, Alexis M. Barbarin, Richard G. Santangelo and Coby Schal, North Carolina State University: Zachary C. DeVries, University of Kentucky
Published: July 7, 2020 in Science of the Total Environment
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140704
Abstract: Indoor pests, and the allergens they produce, adversely affect human health. Surprisingly, however, their effects on indoor microbial communities have not been assessed. Bed bug (Cimex lectularius) infestations pose severe challenges in elderly and low-income housing. They void large amounts of liquid feces into the home environment, which might alter the indoor microbial community composition. In this study, using bed bug-infested and uninfested homes, we showed a strong impact of bed bug infestations on the indoor microbial diversity. Floor dust samples were collected from uninfested and bed bug-infested homes and their microbiomes were analyzed before and after heat interventions that eliminated bed bugs. The microbial communities of bed bug-infested homes were radically different from those of uninfested homes, and the bed bug endosymbiont Wolbachia was the major driver of this difference. After bed bugs were eliminated, the microbial community gradually shifted toward the community composition of uninfested homes, strongly implicating bed bugs in shaping the dust-associated environmental microbiome. Further studies are needed to understand the viability of these microbial communities and the potential risks that bed bug-associated microbes and their metabolites pose to human health.
Read this article:
Bed Bugs Modify Microbiome of Homes They Infest - NC State News
- Perfection K9 Pre-Inspections for Bed Bugs - September 6th, 2011 [September 6th, 2011]
- Bedbug Informational Video (part two of two) - September 11th, 2011 [September 11th, 2011]
- KDF 2010 Bed Races - September 27th, 2011 [September 27th, 2011]
- Raw Interview: Bedbugs, Part 3 - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Green Lantern 5.19.10, Bedbugs - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- PPMA's Media Highlights: Bed Bugs - October 4th, 2011 [October 4th, 2011]
- Raw Interview: Bedbugs, Part 1 - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- Officials: Not Much Can Be Done Against Bedbugs - October 5th, 2011 [October 5th, 2011]
- FPC Pest Control - Video - November 8th, 2011 [November 8th, 2011]
- Dr. Michael Potter Talks About Bed bugs and ESA - Video - December 3rd, 2011 [December 3rd, 2011]
- Bed Bug Feeding - Time Lapsed Best Quality HD - Video - December 8th, 2011 [December 8th, 2011]
- Unwelcome guests drive Henry Tower residents buggy - February 14th, 2012 [February 14th, 2012]
- Top Entomologists Call 2012 Pivotal Year in Bed Bug War - February 29th, 2012 [February 29th, 2012]
- Combating bed bugs for the World Choir Games - May 19th, 2012 [May 19th, 2012]
- Bed bugs a problem in homes, not city offices - May 23rd, 2012 [May 23rd, 2012]
- All Natural Bed Bug Solution Driven by Consumer Demand and Science - May 23rd, 2012 [May 23rd, 2012]
- Bed bugs: How not to bring them home from summer vacation hot spots - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Kentucky: Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Bed Bugs - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- Natural Remedy for Bed Bugs | eHow - eHow | How to Videos ... - November 3rd, 2013 [November 3rd, 2013]
- CDC - EHS - Bed Bugs CDC-EPA Joint Statement - November 4th, 2013 [November 4th, 2013]
- Bed Bugs | Public Health and Medical Entomology | Purdue ... - November 25th, 2013 [November 25th, 2013]
- Bed Bugs – ThermaPure - December 19th, 2013 [December 19th, 2013]
- Natural Bed Bug Spray EcoRaider Garnered Attention at Global Bed Bug Summit - December 20th, 2013 [December 20th, 2013]
- Building A Better Bed Bug Trap | Popular Science - December 21st, 2013 [December 21st, 2013]
- Scherzinger - Bed Bugs | Bed Bugs Services | OH | KY ... - December 23rd, 2013 [December 23rd, 2013]
- Reports of Bed Bugs in Louisville Hotels - Louisville ... - December 28th, 2013 [December 28th, 2013]
- Get Rid of BedBugs in Lexington, KY - Call Innovative Pest ... - January 20th, 2014 [January 20th, 2014]
- Bedbug education and safety a concern - February 12th, 2014 [February 12th, 2014]
- Bedbugs: An Unwanted Souvenir - March 19th, 2014 [March 19th, 2014]
- ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Complaints of bedbugs increase in ... - March 20th, 2014 [March 20th, 2014]
- Tips for Staying Bed Bug Free This Travel Season - April 17th, 2014 [April 17th, 2014]
- IN Bed Bug Control Gets Rid Of Bed Bugs In Indiana ... - April 19th, 2014 [April 19th, 2014]
- KILL BED BUGS IN FLORENCE | 513-546-1224 | 41042 | KILL ... - May 7th, 2014 [May 7th, 2014]
- Bed bug cases growing across the Tri-State - 14 News, WFIE ... - July 10th, 2014 [July 10th, 2014]
- The latest weapon in the battle against bedbugsluggage - October 8th, 2014 [October 8th, 2014]
- The National Pest Management Association Reminds Thanksgiving Travelers to Pack Bed Bug Prevention Tips - November 25th, 2014 [November 25th, 2014]
- Kentucky.gov: - Bed Bugs 07 - January 4th, 2015 [January 4th, 2015]
- That bites! BG among worst bedbug cities - January 27th, 2015 [January 27th, 2015]
- bed bug - Cimex lectularius Linnaeus - University of Florida - August 9th, 2015 [August 9th, 2015]
- Bed Bugs Forum - October 7th, 2015 [October 7th, 2015]
- UK Research: Bed Bugs 'Bite' the Wallet of Hotel Owners ... - March 7th, 2016 [March 7th, 2016]
- Northern Kentucky Health Department | Bed Bugs at Work - March 7th, 2016 [March 7th, 2016]
- Bed Bug Resources | Entomological Society of America (ESA) - March 7th, 2016 [March 7th, 2016]
- Bed Bugs | Pest Control | Louisville, KY | IPM Services - March 7th, 2016 [March 7th, 2016]
- Northern Kentucky Health Department | Bed Bug Fact Sheet - April 9th, 2016 [April 9th, 2016]
- Bed Bugs: Everyone is vulnerable - WDRB 41 Louisville News - May 5th, 2016 [May 5th, 2016]
- How Does a Person Get Bed Bugs? | eHow - May 16th, 2016 [May 16th, 2016]
- Bed Bugs, BedBugs, Survery, 2011 Bugs Without Borders ... - January 2nd, 2017 [January 2nd, 2017]
- Know Where Bed Bugs Hide - BadBedBugs.com - January 8th, 2017 [January 8th, 2017]
- Hartshorne City Hall closed after discovery of bedbugs - Lexington Herald Leader - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- DC elementary school reopens after bed bugs, rodents found - Lexington Herald Leader - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Bedbugs force 3 South Carolina fire crews to relocate | Lexington ... - Lexington Herald Leader - June 5th, 2017 [June 5th, 2017]
- Avoid the Biting Burden of Bed Bugs This Summer - satPRnews (press release) - June 5th, 2017 [June 5th, 2017]
- Angry man releases about 100 bed bugs at Maine city office - Lexington Herald Leader - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Most consumers can't identify bed bugs, survey finds - ConsumerAffairs - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Do you know how to spot a bedbug? - CBS News - CBS News - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Bed Bug Awareness is Poor Among US Travelers, But Reactions are Strong - Infection Control Today - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Survey: Bed Bugs Are the Last Thing Travelers Want to See in a ... - Entomology Today - June 15th, 2017 [June 15th, 2017]
- Could You Spot Bed Bugs in a Hotel Room? - WebMD - WebMD - June 15th, 2017 [June 15th, 2017]
- Travelers are terrified by bed bugs -- but can't spot one in a lineup - AOL - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Bed bug awareness poor among US travelers, but reactions are strong - Phys.Org - June 19th, 2017 [June 19th, 2017]
- Bed bug scare looms large for hotel, lodging industry - Daily News & Analysis - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Bed Bugs Are Back: What You Need To Know - WCNC - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]
- Spiders, Snakes, Bedbugs and No Bathroom Privacy Oh My! - ChicagoNow (blog) - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]
- Bed Bugs Are Back: What You Need To Know - WFMY News 2 - June 24th, 2017 [June 24th, 2017]
- Man who threw bedbugs at Maine municipal office is charged - Lexington Herald Leader - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- Surprising Places Bed Bugs Can Hide - ConsumerReports.org - July 13th, 2017 [July 13th, 2017]
- Central Illinois struggles to find solution for bed bugs - Lexington Herald Leader - July 25th, 2017 [July 25th, 2017]
- How to Check for Bed Bugs: Detection Tips - Orkin.com - November 22nd, 2017 [November 22nd, 2017]
- Bed Bugs - Pest Control Tips from Exterminators - January 29th, 2018 [January 29th, 2018]
- BED BUGS | Ace Kentucky - September 11th, 2018 [September 11th, 2018]
- Kentucky, United States Bed Bug Registry Map Bed Bug ... - November 19th, 2018 [November 19th, 2018]
- Bed Bug News Reports Bed Bugs in Kentucky - December 7th, 2018 [December 7th, 2018]
- Bed Bug Biology and Behavior - UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY - February 9th, 2019 [February 9th, 2019]
- Bed Bugs - Cabinet for Health and Family Services - February 9th, 2019 [February 9th, 2019]
- Bed bug sniffing dogs could be the best defense against infestation - 10TV - February 23rd, 2020 [February 23rd, 2020]
- Bed Bugs and Schools | Managing Pests in Schools | US EPA - March 18th, 2020 [March 18th, 2020]
- Kentucky Bed Bug Hotel and Apartment Reports ... - March 18th, 2020 [March 18th, 2020]
- Bed Bugs - University of Kentucky - July 28th, 2020 [July 28th, 2020]
- Two KY Cities Pop Up on a National 'Most Bed Bugs' ListGood ... - WBKR - October 16th, 2023 [October 16th, 2023]
Click Free Exterminator Quote
to fill in a form to obtain a free exterminator quote today.