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Oral Presentation

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Student Competition

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Student 10-Minute Presentation Competition

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

Student Competition

Student

Grad 10-min Competition: MUVE, Vector Biology

Bed bugs: Health risks and control

Monday, November 10, 2025

10:30 AM - 10:42 AM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom 252, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

SP

Simona Principato

University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

Co-Author(s)

HS

Hollie I. Swanson

Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
HH

Hong Huang

Division of Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
JB

John A. Bauer

Division of Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
WS

Wayne T. Sanderson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
SP

S. Reddy Palli (he/him/his)

University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
ZD

Zachary C. C. DeVries

Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky

Significant health issues can develop from consistent exposure to indoor allergens. Bed bugs contribute to indoor contamination by releasing histamine, a biogenic amine present in their feces as part of their aggregation pheromone. High levels of histamine can be detected in the dust, surfaces and air vents of infested homes where it can persist for extended periods of time. The difficulty in removing histamine from the environment, along with its biological role in the human body, represents factors that could make histamine a harmful contaminant upon exposure. In this study, we cultured human airway epithelial cells and human keratinocytes to determine if cell exposure to bed bug derived histamine could elicit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines typically involved in allergic responses that can lead to respiratory diseases like asthma, or to dermatological dysfunctions like atopic dermatitis. The results are discussed in relation to the broader impacts of bed bugs on public health.