Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Leulmi H., Bitam I., Berenger J. M., Lepidi H., Rolain J. M., Almeras L., Raoult Didier, Parola P. (2015). Competence of Cimex lectularius bed bugs for the transmission of Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench Fever. Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9 (5), p. e0003789. ISSN 1935-2735.

Titre du document
Competence of Cimex lectularius bed bugs for the transmission of Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench Fever
Année de publication
2015
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000355303600050
Auteurs
Leulmi H., Bitam I., Berenger J. M., Lepidi H., Rolain J. M., Almeras L., Raoult Didier, Parola P.
Source
Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2015, 9 (5), p. e0003789 ISSN 1935-2735
Background Bartonella quintana, the etiologic agent of trench fever and other human diseases, is transmitted by the feces of body lice. Recently, this bacterium has been detected in other arthropod families such as bed bugs, which begs the question of their involvement in B. quintana transmission. Although several infectious pathogens have been reported and are suggested to be transmitted by bed bugs, the evidence regarding their competence as vectors is unclear. Methodology/ Principal Findings Bed bugs at the adult and instar developmental stages were fed three successive human blood meals inoculated with B. quintana bacterium from day one (D1) to D5; subsequently they were fed with pathogen-free human blood until the end of the experiment. Bed bugs and feces were collected in time series, to evaluate their capacities to acquire, multiply and expel viable B. quintana using molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and cultures assays. B. quintana was detected molecularly in 100% of randomly selected experimentally infected bed bug specimens (D3). The monitoring of B. quintana in bed bug feces showed that the bacterium was detectable starting on the 3rd day post-infection (pi) and persisted until day 18 +/- 1 pi. Although immunohistochemistry assays localized the bacteria to the gastrointestinal bed bug gut, the detection of B. quintana in the first and second instar larva stages suggested a vertical non-transovarial transmission of the bacterium. Conclusion The present work demonstrated for the first time that bed bugs can acquire, maintain for more than 2 weeks and release viable B. quintana organisms following a stercorarial shedding. We also observed the vertical transmission of the bacterium to their progeny. Although the biological role of bed bugs in the transmission of B. quintana under natural conditions has yet to be confirmed, the present work highlights the need to reconsider monitoring of these arthropods for the transmission of human pathogens.
Plan de classement
Entomologie médicale / Parasitologie / Virologie [052] ; Biotechnologies [084]
Identifiant IRD
PAR00013204
Contact