First official report of bed bug (Hemiptera, Cimicidae) infestations in Algeria

Thinhinane Djouaher; Mohammad Akhoundi; Omar Hamarsheh; Denis Sereno; Dahlia Chebbah; Karima Brahmi; Soumeya Chahed; Sophie Brun; Julie Jan; Arezki Izri

doi:10.1016/j.parepi.2023.e00335

First official report of bed bug (Hemiptera, Cimicidae) infestations in Algeria

Parasite Epidemiol Control. 2023 Dec 22:24:e00335. doi: 10.1016/j.parepi.2023.e00335. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Thinhinane Djouaher¹, Mohammad Akhoundi^{2

3}, Omar Hamarsheh⁴, Denis Sereno^{5

6}, Dahlia Chebbah², Karima Brahmi¹, Soumeya Chahed¹, Sophie Brun², Julie Jan⁷, Arezki Izri^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Faculté des Sciences biologiques et des Sciences agronomiques, Département de biologie, Université Mouloud Mammeri, Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria.
² Parasitology-Mycology Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Bobigny, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France.
³ Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Université-IRD 190-Inserm 1207-IHU Méditerranée Infection), Marseille, France.
⁴ Department of Biological Sciences, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem 51000, Palestine.
⁵ Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement, Montpellier University, MIVEGEC, Montpellier, France.
⁶ Institut de Recherche Pour le Développement, Montpellier University, InterTryp, Infectilogy, Entomology and One Health Research Group Montpellier, France.
⁷ Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) Île-de-France, 35, Rue de la Gare, CEDEX 19, 75935 Paris, France.

Abstract

Background: Bed bugs are hematophagous insects with a long history of presence in human communities. Over the last three decades, infestations by bed bugs in human dwellings have drastically increased, leading to a rise in bed bug concerns. Nevertheless, very little is known about the bed bug species and their population diversity in Algeria.

Method: A pilot entomological inventory was performed in May 2019 in Tizi Ouzou, in northern Algeria. The gathered bed bug specimens were identified by morphological and molecular approaches, followed by neighbor-joining and network phylogenetic analyses.

Results: A total of seven out of 12 requested locations were allowed to inspect for bed bug infestation. Of these, three locations were found with active bed bug infestations. A total of 145 specimens belonging to different life stages [egg (21), nymph (74), adult male (17), and female (33)] were collected and analyzed using morphological and molecular approaches. The adult specimens were identified as Cimex lectularius according to specific morphological criteria, most importantly the pronotum laterally expanded with more flattened extreme margins. Morphological identification of the adults was confirmed further by conventional PCR targeting 450 bp fragment of the COI gene. All the nymphs and eggs were also molecularly identified as C. lectularius. Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic tree reconstructed with the collected specimens provides clues on the presence of two closely phylogenetic groups. The first one gathers our samples of Algeria with previously reported COI haplotype sequences from Asian, European, and North American countries. The second group encompasses a lesser-documented haplotype reported in Europe and Central America. These findings were further confirmed by network analysis.

Conclusions: These results provide evidence of established C. lectularius infestation in Algeria and its potential dispersal capacity by travelers or immigrants and will help future management of these ectoparasites.

Keywords: Algeria; Bed bugs; Cimex lectularius; Re-emergence.