Bed bugs reproductive life cycle in the clothes of a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease results in iron deficiency anemia

Abstract

We report the case of an 82-year-old patient, hospitalized for malaise. Her clothes were infested by numerous insects and the entomological analysis identified them as being Cimex lectularius (bed bugs). The history of the patient highlighted severe cognitive impairment. The biological assessment initially showed a profound microcytic, aregenerative, iron deficiency anemia. A vitamin B12 deficiency due to pernicious anemia (positive intrinsic factor antibodies) was also highlighted, but this was not enough to explain the anemia without macrocytosis. Laboratory tests, endoscopy and a CT scan eliminated a tumor etiology responsible for occult bleeding. The patient had a mild itchy rash which was linked to the massive colonization by the bed bugs. The C. lectularius bite is most often considered benign because it is not a vector of infectious agents. Far from trivial, a massive human colonization by bed bugs may cause such a hematic depletion that severe microcytic anemia may result.

Bed Bugs (Hemiptera, Cimicidae): Overview of Classification, Evolution and Dispersion

“…They are ectoparasites with a long history of presence in human communities. They are a major concern to public health and currently one of the most common ectoparasites, affecting human life worldwide [1]. In recent decades, bed bug infestations in human habitats have drastically increased, leading to a rise in both nuisance and related disorders.…”

Ectoparasite Bed Bug (Cimex Lectularius) Has Once Again Returned to Human Habitats Also in Slovakia

“…Mimoriadnym zistením bolo, že výskyt veľkého počtu ploštíc v prostredí môže svojmu hostiteľovi spôsobiť ťažkú anémiu (44). Podobný prípad bol zaznamenaný u hospitalizovaného 82-ročného muža s Alzheimerovou chorobou, u ktorého bola diagnostikovaná ťažká anémia z nedostatku železa a vitamínu B12 (45). Pacient mal na tele miernu svrbivú vyrážku a bol veľmi malátny.…”

Insecticide Resistance in Eggs and First Instars of the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)

“…Although studies have documented that bed bugs ( Cimex lectularius L. and Cimex hemipterus F.) can carry multiple pathogenic organisms on their bodies and in their excrement, they are not known to be successful at disease transmission and the risk of disease transmission is negligible [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Subsequently, bed bugs do not have the public health status associated with other blood sucking arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks and fleas.…”