Presentation Abstract

Session: Ectoparasite-Borne Diseases
Abstract Number: 55
Title: Cimex lectularius (bed bug) morbidity and mortality after exposure to the drug ivermectin
Presentation Start: 11/12/2012 10:15:00 AM
Authors: Johnathan M. Sheele1, John F. Anderson2, Thang Tran3, An Teng3, Peter A. Byers1, Bhaskara Ravi4, Daniel E. Sonenshine5
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, United States, 2Department of Entomology and Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Dieseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT, United States, 3Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, United States, 4Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States, 5Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
Abstract: We show that Cimex lectularius (bed bug) suffer high morbidity and mortality when fed on blood containing ivermectin in vitro, in vivo, and in four human study subjects. Mortality for adult bed bugs was 0% when fed on 0ng/mL ivermectin (control; n=45) and 100% (n=44) for 260ng/mL ivermectin at day 13 using an artificial feeding membrane. Mortality for C. lectularius 3rd and 4th stage instar nymphs that fed on heparinized mouse blood containing 0ng/mL ivermectin (control; n=45) was 0% compared to 95% for 260ng/mL (n=37) at day 13. Combined mortality for adult and nymph bed bugs that fed on mice injected intraperitoneally with the human equivalent dose of ivermectin 0mcg/kg (control) (n=21) was 0% compared to 86% (n=22) in the 200mcg/kg ivermectin group. None of the surviving nymphs exposed to ivermectin molted by day 75 compared to 80% of nymphs in the control group who molted by day 8. Bed bugs that fed once on human study subjects three hours after they had consumed 200mgc/kg of oral ivermectin had a 50% two-day and a 63% (n=24) 20-day mortality rate compared to 4% and 8% (n=24), respectively in the control group. By day 20, 67% (8/12) of the control-group nymphs had molted compared to 0% (0/12) of the bed bugs which fed on human subjects three hours after they had consumed ivermectin. A single exposure to ivermectin can cause bed bug morbidity and mortality. It can also prevent nymph molting. It is possible that ivermectin could be used to help eradicate a bed bug infestation.




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