Comments on: New study of bed bug bites suggests most people do react http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/ A bed bug policy advocacy group Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:52:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bite sensitivity, new data — New York vs Bed Bugs http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-37976 Bite sensitivity, new data — New York vs Bed Bugs Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:48:34 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-37976 [...] Essentially the reverse of what was previously thought. Though there were also skeptics—see this note about last year’s article by Reinhardt and others. [...] [...] Essentially the reverse of what was previously thought. Though there were also skeptics—see this note about last year’s article by Reinhardt and others. [...]

]]> By: We Have Bed Bugs. That’s Right: Bed Bugs. « Jennie SMASH! http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-26612 We Have Bed Bugs. That’s Right: Bed Bugs. « Jennie SMASH! Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:11:41 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-26612 [...] out, some people don’t react to bed bug bites, and since Sgt. Lucky isn’t allergic to anything, it makes sense that he wouldn’t have [...] [...] out, some people don’t react to bed bug bites, and since Sgt. Lucky isn’t allergic to anything, it makes sense that he wouldn’t have [...]

]]> By: Australian medical entomologists on what GPs should know — New York vs Bed Bugs http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-22438 Australian medical entomologists on what GPs should know — New York vs Bed Bugs Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:48:29 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-22438 [...] authors here) and a brief discussion of bite sensitivity with reference to Reinhardt et al. 2009 (we discussed here) and Goddard/deShazo (JAMA 2009), and also to this other Goddard/deShazo article (Midsouth [...] [...] authors here) and a brief discussion of bite sensitivity with reference to Reinhardt et al. 2009 (we discussed here) and Goddard/deShazo (JAMA 2009), and also to this other Goddard/deShazo article (Midsouth [...]

]]> By: What percentage of people react to bed bug bites? : Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-5669 What percentage of people react to bed bug bites? : Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:14:53 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-5669 [...] I know you’ll want all the information on this from Renee, so check out her post here. [...] [...] I know you’ll want all the information on this from Renee, so check out her post here. [...]

]]> By: Renee Corea http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-5651 Renee Corea Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:16:02 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-5651 Agree. (And interesting about the rats!) To make things even <em>more</em> exciting, this reactivation could be due to circulating antigen (see: <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/118/1/e189" rel="nofollow">Hernandez and Cohen (2006)</a>, PDF). I'm currently making my way through this: <a href="http://www.scielo.br/pdf/aabc/v77n4/a08v77n4.pdf" rel="nofollow">Haematophagous arthropod saliva and host defense system : a tale of tear and blood</a> (PDF) Something related that's interesting is host nutrition effects on their fitness. Protein deficiency! They don't like it. Stress is definitely a factor. And perhaps other things. Which is why it's interesting in Goddard's paper when he lists in a table all the bite studies and there's a study of refugees where the majority reacted with wheals, and a study of soldiers where very few complained. Agree. (And interesting about the rats!)

To make things even more exciting, this reactivation could be due to circulating antigen (see: Hernandez and Cohen (2006), PDF).

I’m currently making my way through this: Haematophagous arthropod saliva and host defense system : a tale of tear and blood (PDF)

Something related that’s interesting is host nutrition effects on their fitness. Protein deficiency! They don’t like it.

Stress is definitely a factor. And perhaps other things. Which is why it’s interesting in Goddard’s paper when he lists in a table all the bite studies and there’s a study of refugees where the majority reacted with wheals, and a study of soldiers where very few complained.

]]> By: John Harrold http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-5650 John Harrold Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:31:35 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-5650 I work with animals, mainly rodents. I had pet rats as a kid, and I'm not terribly effected by their scratches. There is a PhD student here who had a mild inflammatory response to rat scratches when she started, and now in her forth year she's breaks out in hives if she gets a scratch. The immune system is indeed a strange beast. Concerning the case where they continued to react even after the infestation was eradicated there are a couple possibilities. The first is that they didn't clean the bed very well and they were having an inflammatory response to the feces or other bed bug bits floating around. Another option is stress. Regulation of the immune system is significantly impacted by hormone levels which are easily influenced by the paranoia and lack of sleep that bed bugs can cause. Another paranoia related aspect is increased sensitivity. For example a small abrasion or just an itch may get attention that it wouldn't get under normal circumstances. A little itching, and ones maladjusted immune system attacks the area. Suddenly you have a bed bug bite in the absence of bedbugs. There's also the third option which is they really didn't exterminate all of the bed bugs :) I work with animals, mainly rodents. I had pet rats as a kid, and I’m not terribly effected by their scratches. There is a PhD student here who had a mild inflammatory response to rat scratches when she started, and now in her forth year she’s breaks out in hives if she gets a scratch. The immune system is indeed a strange beast.

Concerning the case where they continued to react even after the infestation was eradicated there are a couple possibilities. The first is that they didn’t clean the bed very well and they were having an inflammatory response to the feces or other bed bug bits floating around. Another option is stress. Regulation of the immune system is significantly impacted by hormone levels which are easily influenced by the paranoia and lack of sleep that bed bugs can cause. Another paranoia related aspect is increased sensitivity. For example a small abrasion or just an itch may get attention that it wouldn’t get under normal circumstances. A little itching, and ones maladjusted immune system attacks the area. Suddenly you have a bed bug bite in the absence of bedbugs. There’s also the third option which is they really didn’t exterminate all of the bed bugs :)

]]> By: Renee Corea http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-5647 Renee Corea Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:33:38 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-5647 Hey John- This stuff is fascinating to me. We've heard the gamut up to and including people becoming desensitized. One report involved a couple where they thought the husband did not react to bites but was more likely not being bitten, in their case, as he reacted when he had a chance to be alone with the bugs, so to speak, while dismantling a bed frame in the garage. So, he wasn't insensitive. Just not tasty. Or on the lucky side of the bed. Very nice field studies could be done. There are some interesting things happening, for example, many people continue to react even after the infestation has been eradicated. And reactions certainly change over time for many. Hey John-

This stuff is fascinating to me. We’ve heard the gamut up to and including people becoming desensitized. One report involved a couple where they thought the husband did not react to bites but was more likely not being bitten, in their case, as he reacted when he had a chance to be alone with the bugs, so to speak, while dismantling a bed frame in the garage. So, he wasn’t insensitive. Just not tasty. Or on the lucky side of the bed.

Very nice field studies could be done. There are some interesting things happening, for example, many people continue to react even after the infestation has been eradicated. And reactions certainly change over time for many.

]]> By: John Harrold http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/04/16/new-study-of-bed-bug-bites-suggests-most-people-do-react/comment-page-1/#comment-5643 John Harrold Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:59:15 +0000 http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/?p=2398#comment-5643 My experiences were consistent with this. I didn't even know I was infested until a friend who was staying the night had a reaction to the bites. I attributed my lack of reaction to either being insensitive immunologically or due to the fact I'd just spent two years in a place being eaten alive by mosquitoes (thus insensitive in general). I did notice that one evening, after an area on my arm was sacked heavily by the invading hoards, I had an inflammatory response. Most people don't realize that their immune systems learn; and just like leaning anything improvement occurs with repeated exposure. My experiences were consistent with this. I didn’t even know I was infested until a friend who was staying the night had a reaction to the bites. I attributed my lack of reaction to either being insensitive immunologically or due to the fact I’d just spent two years in a place being eaten alive by mosquitoes (thus insensitive in general). I did notice that one evening, after an area on my arm was sacked heavily by the invading hoards, I had an inflammatory response. Most people don’t realize that their immune systems learn; and just like leaning anything improvement occurs with repeated exposure.

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