Chinches de cama

Bedbugs

https://doi.org/10.15446/cr.v10n2.117833

Bed bugs

Keywords: Bedbugs; Cimex hemipterus; Parasites.

Palabras clave: Chinches; Cimex hemipterus; Parásitos.

Ligia Inés Moncada-Álvarez

Universidad Nacional de Colombia -
Bogotá Campus - Faculty of Medicine -
Department of Public Health -
Bogotá D. C. - Colombia

Corresponding author

Ligia Inés Moncada-Álvarez. Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá D.C. Colombia. E-mail: limoncadaa@unal.edu.co

Received: 04/11/2024 Accepted: 13/11/2021

Editorial

Insects of the genus Cimex, which belong to the family Cimicidae, have different names in Spanish-speaking countries, but are popularly known as chinches de cama (bed bugs). In some regions of Colombia they are known as chapetones.

The earliest evidence of the association of cimicids with humans dates back over 3 500 years ago, (1-3) and it has been established that they were common in the Mediterranean throughout the Roman era, subsequently spreading from there to other regions via shipping trade (3). Cimicids are members of the order Hemiptera, which also includes Triatominae, and in Colombia are known as pitos (vernacular name).

Cimicids are hemimetabolous insects since they are morphologically and physiologically similar to adults in their early stages. The five nymphal stages and the adults are obligate hematophagous, and their blood sources are humans and other warm-blooded vertebrates. Their biting activity is nocturnal (2,3). Unlike triatomines, cimicids are apterous insects, so they cannot fly and, consequently, their movements are usually short, which means that they must be transported by their hosts on clothing, furniture, and other belongings for their spread.

There are three recognized species of cimicids that feed on human blood: Cimex lectularius, Cimex hemipterus, and Leptocimex boueti (3,4). The former is found mainly in warm areas of the planet, while the latter is distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, although in recent years it has been reported that it spread to temperate areas of the Middle East, the United States, Russia, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and northern Australia (3,5).

C. lectularius and C. hemipterus can coexist sympatrically in regions of Africa, Australia, the United States (Florida and Hawaii), and Taiwan, while L. boueti are reported in West Africa and South America. Recently, the presence of C. lectularius has been registered in poultry farms (3), which suggests that one of its food sources is poultry blood, so infestation can also be considered a zoonosis. Moreover, a significant feature of these insects is that they can go into dormancy for several months when there is no food source available until conditions for feeding are favorable (6), which is similar to the situation of triatomine bugs.

The health importance of these insects lies in several aspects such as the immune response to their bite, which can induce respiratory symptoms and dermatological lesions (3,7,8). Other aspects related to infestations are mental health problems and social stigma and discrimination (9). In addition, infestations also have a significant impact on the economy (10,11).

While it has not been established yet whether bedbugs in the wild serve as competent vectors for any pathogenic agents for humans, a study by Salazar et al. (12) indicated that they can become infected with Trypanosoma cruzi from experimentally infected mice and that, in turn, the mice were able to transmit the parasite to other uninfected mice. Likewise, Blakely et al. (13) conducted a study in which they found that bedbugs in the nymphal stage infected with T. cruzi retained the parasite after molting, suggesting that there was a transstadial transmission of T. cruzi.

The niches of C. lectularius and C. hemipterus are associated with humans and can be found in bedrooms, hotels, offices, libraries, and means of transportation such as airplanes, ships, buses, and trains (3). After almost being eliminated through the use of insecticides, bedbugs have re-emerged in countries such as the United Kingdom, where insecticide resistance and possible resurgence due to increased international travel and trade were first reported in 1998 (3).

Considering the resurgence and adaptation of bedbugs to new geographical locations, the case series published in the current issue of Case Reports (14), detailing a C. hemipterus infestation in Medellín, Colombia, is of utmost importance as it is the first study to inform on the presence of this insect in the country and describe how it survives under the conditions of the city. This article also addresses the impact on mental health of individuals exposed to these organisms and, consequently, the implications for public health, serving as a warning to authorities regarding the possible introduction of C. hemipterus into the country due to increased travel to regions where the insect is prevalent. On the other hand, the cases presented in this report demonstrate the effectiveness of alternative treatments for controlling and preventing reinfestations, as reported in the literature, due to the resistance that bedbugs have developed to various types of insecticides (15,16).

References

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10.Romero A, Sutherland AM, Gouge DH, Spafford H, Nair S, Lewis V, et al. Pest management strategies for bed bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in multiunit housing: a literature review on field studies. J Integr Pest Mang. 2017;8(1):13. https://doi.org/nt2t.

11. Dogget SL, Miller DM, Lee CY. Advances in the biology and management of modern bed bugs. Hoboken, NY: Wiley Blackwell; 2018.

12.Salazar R, Castillo-Neyra R, Tustin AW, Borrini-Mayori K, Náquira C, Lery MZ. Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) as vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2015;92(2):331-5. https://doi.org/f6zz5n.

13.Blakely BN, Hanson SF, Romero A. Survival and transstadial persistence of Trypanosoma cruzi in the bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). J Med. Entomol. 2018;55(3):742-6. https://doi.org/gdxqg6.

14.Porras-Villamil, Sáez-Durán S, Trelis-Villanueva M, Bueno-Marí R, Fuentes MV. Infestación severa por chinche de cama tropical Cimex hemipterus en Medellín, Colombia. Una serie de casos. Case reports. 2024;10(2).

15.Chebhah D, Elissa N, Nicolas P, Levy H, Vingutaramin Y, Bennovna A, et al. Effectiveness of heat treatment in rapid control of bed bugs in environmental conditions resembling their natural
habitat. Int J Environ Health Res. 2024;34(2):1147-55. https://doi.org/nt2w.

16.Doggett SL, Rusell RC. The resurgence of bed bugs Cimex spp. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in Australia.
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