Like many other arthropod bites, bedbugs can cause unexplained urticaria in travelers and be involved in bacterial superinfections, notably after scratching with contaminated hands or nails, but the role of externally contaminated

bedbugs in the latter should not be neglected.[19, 20] Here, our primary objective is to help the traveler and his/her physician prepare for a trip during which bedbugs might be encountered in the present context of their recent resurgence. For more medically oriented information, physicians, experts, and technicians can refer to our recent review.[12] Locally, bedbugs move by active displacement, which means they are pedestrians on foot! A bedbug looking for a blood meal walks from his living quarters to sleeping or resting potential victims. The release of heat, carbon dioxide, and perhaps human NU7441 chemical structure kairomones during hours of darkness are

the three main attracting elements.[21] After each blood meal, the bedbug returns to a resting place, either the same one or a new one, to digest the blood, moult, or lay eggs. When the infestation is low, the distance walked is barely several centimeters: from the bottom of the mattress to the top, from the bed frame to the top of the bed, from curtains to the bed, and so on. On the return trip, several rare bedbugs are on reconnaissance for a new hiding place (pyjama seams, suitcases, sleeping bags, etc). When infestation is denser, the territory explored expands Selleckchem ALK inhibitor to several meters. For extremely severe infestations, several dozen meters can separate “home” and the primary Myosin infestation site. On the basis of personal experience, when bites are few, infested areas are usually relatively small, with correspondingly low numbers of pests. Another possible explanation is that short distance displacement occurs by chance/error, so that the longer the infestation has been active, the greater the likelihood that the bedbugs have moved further away. Walls, electric outlets and conduits, and air ducts can be invaded and this takes several weeks. All degrees of infestation have been described: isolated cases, group sites, entire

buildings, or even a citywide outbreak. All types of lodgings or contaminated objects have also been observed: private homes or cars, hotels, hospitals, spas, movies, buses, post offices, shops, stock rooms, televisions, radios, motorcycle helmets, and so on From these locally infested sites, “passive transport” represents the second mode of travel. This time, the host will fortuitously carry the insect to a new location, situated merely several or several thousand kilometers away, during his journey. Primary infestation of a site does not reflect the hygiene level. Any building can fall victim to primary infestation. In contrast, a good hygiene level, associated with good training of well-informed housekeeping personnel, will assure early detection of the first undesirable squatters. Preventive measures can be initiated very rapidly.