Experimental Acquisition, Maintenance, and Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius

Abstract

Here, we fed bed bugs through a membrane contaminated with MRSA at a concentration naturally present on human skin. We then determined the amount of viable MRSA present on their surface and internally over a period of seven days. We also determined whether bed bugs that fed through the contaminated membrane could transmit MRSA to an uncontaminated membrane when taking a second blood meal seven days later. Bed bugs acquired MRSA both externally on the cuticle surface as well as internally when feeding. MRSA was found to persist for seven days both externally and internally in some bed bugs. Further, MRSA replicated internally but not externally. Most importantly, bed bugs were able to transmit MRSA to an uncontaminated membrane feeder in two out of three trials. These findings provide the first experimental support for the hypothesis that bed bugs may contribute to the transmission of MRSA in some settings.