Detection and measurement of blood-feeding activity

摘要

This invention provides compositions and methods for detection of hematophagous ectoparasitic activity in an enclosure or area. The compositions comprise a reagent or reagents which are reactive against antigens or markers as they appear in the excrement or other ectoparasitic materials. Such markers or antigens may be produced by the ectoparasite itself or may have been introduced into the ectoparasite because of its blood feeding activity. The method of the present invention comprises collecting from the enclosure or area, a sample comprising environmental dust or materials and subjecting the sample to tests for detecting the presence of hematophagous ectoparasitic markers, host markers or both.

主权项

1. A method of determining blood feeding activity by hematophagous ectoparasites in an enclosure inhabited by individuals of a host species comprising detecting for the presence or absence of a host marker or a hematophagous ectoparasite marker in environmental dust in or obtained from the enclosure, wherein the host marker or the hematophagous ectoparasite marker is detectable in the excrement of hematophagous ectoparasite, and wherein the hematophagous ectoparasite is a bedbug;
wherein the presence of the marker in the environmental dust is indicative of blood feeding activity by the hematophagous ectoparasites feeding on the inhabitants of the host species in the enclosure and the absence of the marker in the environmental dust sample is indicative of a lack of blood feeding activity by the hematophagous ectoparasites feeding on the inhabitants of the host species in the enclosure.