Tropical Bed Bug, Cimex Hemipterus, Established In Central Europe

Cimex hemipterus is spreading to areas where only C. lectularius have been historically observed, such as the Middle East, North Australia, but also temperate regions like Russia. In Europe, until now mostly episodic observations of the species were known. We collected material from around 600 bed bug cases from Europe. Six collections from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland included C. hemipterus. Using cytochrome oxidase subunit I, we linked these infestations to the most common haplotype found globally. The bed bugs possessed two kdr-associated mutations in the sodium channel gene, commonly found across the world, which are responsible for resistance to organochlorines and pyrethroids. The majority of Czech and Slovak cases were made among people whose social background suggest bed bug dispersal within local communities.