BED BUG INFESTATIONS: A CASE REPORT IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF CENTRAL ITALY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF STEAM TREATMENT AGAINST CIMEX LECTULARIUS (HEMIPTERA: CIMICIDAE)

Abstract

There has been resurgence in interest in infestations from the common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), as they have become more prevalent in well-developed countries. This paper reports the case of a 50-year-old woman whose bedroom was infested by bed bugs. The woman presented in our laboratory with insect specimens that she had caught in her bedroom. She reported bites on shoulders, back, belly, and thighs associated with sleep disturbance. Based on an examination of the morphological characteristics, the insects were identified as Cimex lectularius. As the apartment had been rented for several years before the woman moved in, it was suspected that the bed bugs had been introduced by some of the tenants, including some from overseas, who may have inadvertently brought the bugs with them in their luggage/belongings and who had previously lived in the apartment. After two unsuccessful insecticide applications, a thorough weekly decontamination using a steam cleaner completely resolved the infestation within about two months. Knowledge of the epidemiology, life cycle, clinical signs, medical treatment and environmental management of bed bugs by physicians, dermatologists, and entomologists may contribute to the better dissemination of information needed for effective prevention and control as well as to a more accurate diagnosis of the bite marks caused by these insects.