Bed bugs have been worried about people for many decades who have to put up with their presence in their homes. These pests are not only able to cause physical discomfort, but also have become a serious problem because of their resistance to traditional methods of fighting. But recently, scientists have found an explanation of their survivability, associated with genetic changes that help them avoid death even under the influence of insecticides.
In recent years, bed bugs have been showing increasing resistance to pyrethroids - insecticides commonly used to destroy them. Accordingly, the fight against them has become increasingly ineffective. The problem has reached such a scale that scientists were forced to explore the genetic foundations of this stability. In a new study, published in the Insects , a team of scientists, led by Dr. Coachi Togi from Hiroshima University, compared two strains of bed bugs: one of the laboratory in Nagasaki, which was exposed to insecticides for more than six decades, and the other - from a hotel in Hiroshima. As it turned out, this new strain was resistant to pyrethroids 20,000 times stronger than Nagasaki strain.
The analysis of the genome of chiroshima bugs showed that insecticide resistance was due to numerous genetic mutations, in particular in 729 genetic transcripts that affect various biological mechanisms. It is a mechanisms that regulate DNA damage, metabolism, cell cycle and other vital functions, including insulin metabolism and lysosomal functions. These mutations allow bugs to survive even with the active effects of insecticides. Dr. Toga emphasizes that understanding such mechanisms is important for the development of new pest control strategies. In particular, genome editing can help identify evolutionary trajectories and adaptation mechanisms in bed bugs, which, in turn, will develop more effective means of controlling their numbers.
The problem of insecticide resistance is not limited to bed bugs. Scientists say that other pests, such as cockroaches and mosquitoes, have also demonstrated similar resistance, which is the result of long and large -scale use of chemicals. For example, the World Health Organization reported a significant resistance to at least one insecticide in 78% of the mosquito populations. In this regard, scientists believe that it is necessary to refer to new methods of pest control, such as biological agents, genetic editing (in particular, with CRISPR) and complex strategies for pest management. Genetic tools allow to more accurately and effectively affect the genes responsible for insecticide resistance, as well as for evolutionary changes that help pests.
Bed bugs are not carriers of diseases, but their bites can cause allergic reactions, infections and sleep disorders. Moreover, psychological stress from infection can cause additional social and economic problems, because people living in infected homes often suffer from insomnia and psychological discomfort. It is clear that the effective fight against bugs and other pests will not only improve the physical health of people, but also help to reduce the social and economic consequences of invasion. The latest approaches to struggle, such as genetic editing and biological control, can change the situation for the better, making pests not only more efficient but also more environmentally friendly.
Bed bugs, which are becoming more resistant to insecticides, have long been a serious problem for humanity. Scientists, revealing their genetic adaptation mechanisms, open up new opportunities to combat these pests. The use of the latest technologies, such as CRISPR, can help develop more efficient and environmentally friendly methods of control of bed bugs, which will not only reduce their population, but also improve the quality of life of people.
