Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

0000-0002-1726-6070

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Goddard, Jerome

Committee Member

Ward, Samuel F.

Committee Member

Krishnan, Natraj

Date of Degree

5-13-2022

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Agricultural Life Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Abstract

Bed bugs (Hemiptera:Cimicidae) are a common, hematophagous ectoparasite of humans and other animals, and are experiencing an international resurgence. Cimicids have been implicated in the transmission many disease agents, including various Bartonella species, however disease transmission has not yet been confirmed. Bartonella spp. are transmitted by a variety of arthropods, including fleas, lice and sand flies, and it is speculated that bed bugs may also serve as a potential vector. In this study, we used an artificial membrane to feed two groups of adult Cimex lectularius rabbit blood, either infected or uninfected with Bartonella henselae. After two weeks, the presence of Bartonella henselae was assessed via PCR, and salivary glands from infected and uninfected bed bugs were dissected and processed for transmission electron microscopy. We were unable to visually identify Bartonella henselae in the images, and therefore unable to confirm the role of bed bugs in B. henselae transmission.

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