BEDBUG BITES

Course overview

THERE ARE AS MANY AS 90 SPECIES OF "BUGS" (BED BUGS ARE TRUE BUGS WITH SPECIALIZED ELONGATED MOUTHPARTS) WITHIN THE FAMILY CIMICIDAE; HOWEVER, FEW BITE HUMANS. THE TWO MAIN SPECIES THAT MOST COMMONLY BITE HUMANS ARE CIMEX LECTULARIUS AND THE TROPICAL BED BUG, CIMEX HEMIPTERUS. CIMEX HEMIPTERUS IS USUALLY FOUND IN THE TROPICS WITHIN 30 DEGREES OF THE EQUATOR AND CIMEX LECTULARIUS IN MORE MODERATE CLIMATES. RECENTLY, BOTH SPECIES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO MIGRATE OUTSIDE OF THEIR TRADITIONAL ZONES OF INFESTATION. CIMEX LECTULARIUS IS THE SPECIES MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH INFESTATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS ACTIVITY PRESENTS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BEDBUGS.