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Detection of Bartonella spp. in Cimex lectularius by MALDI-TOF MS

Basma El Hamzaoui1, Maureen Laroche1, Philippe Parola1

  • 1Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France; Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|June 9, 2019
PubMed

Insights

This study shows that MALDI-TOF MS can identify bed bugs and detect infections with Bartonella quintana and Bartonella henselae. This method offers a rapid way to assess bed bug infectious status.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Entomology
  • Microbiology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are globally distributed hematophagous insects.
  • Their potential role in transmitting pathogens like Bartonella spp. is a growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of MALDI-TOF MS for simultaneous identification of bed bugs and their infection status.
  • To assess the differentiation capacity of MALDI-TOF MS for Cimex lectularius infected with Bartonella quintana and Bartonella henselae.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental infection of Cimex lectularius with Bartonella quintana and Bartonella henselae.
  • Application of MALDI-TOF MS for analyzing infected and control bed bug samples.

Main Results:

  • MALDI-TOF MS successfully identified Cimex lectularius.
  • The technique differentiated between uninfected, B. quintana-infected, and B. henselae-infected bed bugs with over 90% accuracy.
  • Simultaneous detection of host insect and pathogen was achieved.

Conclusions:

  • MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable tool for identifying bed bugs.
  • This method enables accurate and simultaneous determination of bed bug species and their specific Bartonella infections.
  • MALDI-TOF MS offers a promising approach for entomological and clinical diagnostics related to vector-borne diseases.
Keywords:
Bartonella henselaeBartonella quintanaCimex lectulariusMALDI-TOF MS

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