Stercorarial Shedding and Transtadial Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus by Common Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

Transtadial persistence and stercorarial shedding of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., was studied by using experimental infectious blood feedings, infectious intrathoracic inoculations, and virus detection by polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization. Resu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2001-09, Vol.38 (5), p.694-700
Main Authors: Blow, Jamie A., Turell, Michael J., Silverman, Ann L., Walker, Edward D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bed bug (Cimex lectularius)
bed bugs
Biological and medical sciences
Blotting, Southern - methods
Cimex lectularius
Cimicidae - virology
Disease transmission
DNA, Viral - analysis
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genomics
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B virus - genetics
Hepatitis B virus - isolation & purification
Hepatitis B virus - physiology
Humans
Insect Vectors - virology
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
Nucleic acids
polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods
Sensitivity and Specificity
Vectors. Intermediate hosts
Virus Shedding
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Summary:Transtadial persistence and stercorarial shedding of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., was studied by using experimental infectious blood feedings, infectious intrathoracic inoculations, and virus detection by polymerase chain reaction and Southern hybridization. Results showed that HBV persisted after an infectious blood meal in bed bug bodies for up to 35 d after the infectious blood meal. It was passed transtadially through one molt regardless of instar, was shed in fecal droplets for up to 35 d after the infectious blood meal, but was not passed transovarially. In bugs inoculated intrathoracically, HBV was detected for 21 d postinoculation. Previous studies detected the hepatitis B surface antigen found on both infectious and noninfectious particles in bed bugs. In this study, the presence of nucleic acids amplified from a conserved core region of the viral genome in bodies and feces of C. lectularius suggests that the HBV virus may be mechanically transmitted in feces or when bugs are crushed, during feeding.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
0022-2585
DOI:10.1603/0022-2585-38.5.694