ClinQuiz: Ectoparasites - Answer 4A

Correct. This is the bedbug Cimex lectularius, which is found throughout the world, usually in association with mattresses or other bedding. Bedbugs have become increasingly common in the United States in recent years, a change thought to be due to increased travel and decreased use of environmental insecticides. Bedbugs emerge at night to feed on people and other animals, creating pruritic bite wounds. Severe infestations can result in anemia, but bedbugs have not been commonly associated with the transmission of disease agents.11 Effective treatment requires a thorough cleaning and the environmental application of insecticides.

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