(Philadelphia, Pa., USA – December 6, 2011) New research on the
bed bug's ability to withstand the genetic bottleneck of
inbreeding, announced today at the American Society of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) annual meeting, provides new clues
to explain the rapidly growing problem of bed bugs across the
United States and globally. After mostly disappearing in the US
in the 1950s, the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has
reappeared with a vengeance over the past decade. These stubborn
pests have developed a resistance to the insecticides, known as
pyrethroids, commonly used against them. Scientists at ASTMH
also offered new insights into infestations in apartment
buildings and homes; a novel approach for preventing insecticide
resistance; and new information about chemical compounds
involved in attracting and repelling bed bugs. While these
blood-sucking parasites don't transmit disease, their bites
provoke allergic reactions—including inflamed welts and severe
itching—and they pose both a social and e