The global resurgence of bed bug infestations, exacerbated by increasing international travel, trade, and insecticide resistance, has significantly impacted Korea. This study identified the bed bug species and performed pyrethroid resistance genotyping of recently resurgent bed bugs in Korea. Thirty-one regional bed bug samples were collected from 5 administrative regions: Gyeonggi-do (n=14), Seoul (n=13), Busan (n=2), Jeonllanam-do (n=1), and Chungcheongbuk-do (n=1). The samples underwent morphological and molecular identification. Twenty-four regional samples (77.4%) were identified as the tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus, and the remaining 7 regional samples (22.6%) were identified as the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius. The C. hemipterus regional samples carried at least three mutations associated with knockdown resistance (kdr), including 2 super-kdr mutations. The 7 C. lectularius regional samples possessed at least one of the 3 kdr-related mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance. This study confirms that the prevalent bed bug species recently in Korea is C. hemipterus, replacing the previously endemic C. lectularius. Additionally, the rise in bed bug populations with pyrethroid resistance underscores the necessity of introducing alternative insecticides.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Widespread fixation of kdr-associated mutations in temporal samples of Cimex lectularius collected from multi-unit buildings Jin-Jia Yu, Warren Booth, Changlu Wang Journal of Pest Science.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Multiple mechanisms associated with deltamethrin and imidacloprid resistance in field-collected common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. Jin-Jia Yu, Shao-Hung Lee, Chow-Yang Lee, Changlu Wang Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology.2025; 210: 106357. CrossRef
Global Perspective of Insecticide Resistance in Bed Bugs and Management Options Chow‐Yang Lee Entomological Research.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Molecular identification and knockdown resistance mutation of bed bugs involved in 2019 outbreak in Cape Coast, Ghana and Munich, Germany Andreas A. Kudom, Philipp Hanke, Joana Ayettey, Rofela Combey, Ben A. Mensah, Benjamin Anderson, Andreas Wieser Acta Tropica.2025; 265: 107623. CrossRef
Toxicity of ivermectin to bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) and risk factors associated with infestation in Kwale County, coastal Kenya Tobias Odongo, Isaiah Omondi, Caroline Wanjiku, Miguel Okoko, Caroline Kiuru, Mercy Kariuki, Isaac Ringera, Bruno Otieno, Festus Mure, Joanna Furnival-Adams, Almudena Sanz Gutierrez, Rachel Otuko, Nelly Regina Rabinovich, Joseph Mwangangi, Carlos Chaccour Parasites & Vectors.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Current status of bed bug Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) infestation and prevalence of insecticide-resistant amino acid substitutions in Osaka Prefecture, Japan Maaya Sasaki Medical Entomology and Zoology.2025; 76(2): 45. CrossRef
Development of molecular diagnostic protocols for simultaneous identification of common bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and tropical bed bugs (Cimex hemipterus) Jeong Heum Han, Junhyeong Choi, Susie Cho, Si Hyeock Lee, Ju Hyeon Kim Parasites & Vectors.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
2023–2024년 국내에서 발생한 빈대의 분포 조사 기훈 김, 선란 조, 희일 이 Public Health Weekly Report.2024; 17(45): 1956. CrossRef
Knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) of mosquitoes confer resistance to insecticides. Although insecticide resistance has been suspected to be widespread in the natural population of Aedes aegypti in Myanmar, only limited information is currently available. The overall prevalence and distribution of kdr mutations was analyzed in Ae. aegypti from Mandalay areas, Myanmar. Sequence analysis of the VGSC in Ae. aegypti from Myanmar revealed amino acid mutations at 13 and 11 positions in domains II and III of VGSC, respectively. High frequencies of S989P (68.6%), V1016G (73.5%), and F1534C (40.1%) were found in domains II and III. T1520I was also found, but the frequency was low (8.1%). The frequency of S989P/V1016G was high (55.0%), and the frequencies of V1016G/F1534C and S989P/V1016G/F1534C were also high at 30.1% and 23.5%, respectively. Novel mutations in domain II (L963Q, M976I, V977A, M994T, L995F, V996M/A, D998N, V999A, N1013D, and F1020S) and domain III (K1514R, Y1523H, V1529A, F1534L, F1537S, V1546A, F1551S, G1581D, and K1584R) were also identified. These results collectively suggest that high frequencies of kdr mutations were identified in Myanmar Ae. aegypti, indicating a high level of insecticide resistance.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Monitoring insecticide resistance and target-site mutations in field populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in China Baojuan Zeng, Jianghao Ding, Yajuan Xiao, Shilong Wang, Jie Zhong, Yueru Ye, Huiru Zhou, Jing Song, Wenxin Zhao, Shutang Zhou, Huidong Wang, Raul Narciso Guedes Journal of Economic Entomology.2025; 118(2): 868. CrossRef
Knockdown-resistance (kdr) mutations in Indian Aedes aegypti populations: Lack of recombination among haplotypes bearing V1016G, F1534C, and F1534L kdr alleles Taranjeet Kaur, Rajababu S. Kushwah, Sabyasachi Pradhan, Manoj K. Das, Madhavinadha P. Kona, Anushrita, Radhika Mittal, David Weetman, Rajnikant Dixit, Om P. Singh, Jean-philippe David PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.2025; 19(6): e0013126. CrossRef
Pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti: genetic mechanisms worldwide, and recommendations for effective vector control Jonathan Rene Hernandez, Patricia Victoria Pietrantonio Parasites & Vectors.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Pyrethroid Resistance in Aedes aegypti L. across Southeast Asia: Mechanisms and Implications for Vector Control Resti Rahayu, Risa Ukhti Muslima, Robby Jannatan Indian Journal of Entomology.2025; : 1166. CrossRef
Detection of Putative Mutation I873S in the Sodium Channel of Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) Which May Be Associated with Pyrethroid Resistance Ruibo Gao, Rongcai Lu, Xinyao Qiu, Likui Wang, Kun Zhang, Shaoying Wu Insects.2023; 14(4): 388. CrossRef
Knockdown Resistance Mutations in the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Myanmar Haung Naw, Tuấn Cường Võ, Hương Giang Lê, Jung-Mi Kang, Yi Yi Mya, Moe Kyaw Myint, Tong-Soo Kim, Ho-Joon Shin, Byoung-Kuk Na Insects.2022; 13(4): 322. CrossRef
Detection of pyrethroid resistance mutations and intron variants in the voltage‐gated sodium channel of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus mosquitoes from Lao People's Democratic Republic Sebastien Marcombe, Katherine Shimell, Rachel Savage, Edward Howlett, Phonesavanh Luangamath, Somphat Nilaxay, Vacky Vungkyly, Anne Baby, Mathew King, Josie Clarke, Chloe Jeffries, Josna Jojo, Emily Lacey, Farris Bhatty, Dadirayi Mabika, Andrea Dela Cruz, Medical and Veterinary Entomology.2022; 36(4): 424. CrossRef
First
Prev
