Principato Simona, DeVries Zachary C
Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
J Med Entomol. 2025 May 13;62(3):495-500. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjaf042.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) are common indoor pests found in close association with humans. Bed bug feces have been identified as the primary source of indoor environmental histamine, an emerging contaminant that could pose a potential threat to human health. Therefore, it is critical that we understand the stability of histamine in homes, along with mitigation strategies so that we can reduce exposure and potential health risks. In this study we characterized histamine stability over time on 2 surfaces (unfinished wood, fabric), discovering that aging histamine at room temperature, over the course of 9 mo, showed no significant changes in the level of this biogenic amine. As histamine appears slow to degrade on its own, we evaluated the efficacy of various cleaning methods for reducing or removing histamine from these surfaces. The most effective histamine cleaning methods on fabric were bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and a laundry cycle, while multi-purpose cleaner, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide were the most effective on unfinished wood. Overall, histamine reduction was most influenced by more aggressive cleaning methods (hard scrubbing) or cleaners known for removing stains (hydrogen peroxide, bleach). The results of this study will enhance our ability to reduce exposure to this emerging contaminant.
臭虫（温带臭虫）是常见的室内害虫，与人类密切相关。臭虫粪便已被确定为室内环境组胺的主要来源，组胺是一种新出现的污染物，可能对人类健康构成潜在威胁。因此，了解组胺在家庭环境中的稳定性以及缓解策略至关重要，这样我们才能减少暴露和潜在的健康风险。在本研究中，我们对组胺在两种表面（未加工木材、织物）上随时间的稳定性进行了表征，发现组胺在室温下放置9个月，其水平没有显著变化。由于组胺自身降解似乎较慢，我们评估了各种清洁方法从这些表面减少或去除组胺的效果。在织物上最有效的组胺清洁方法是漂白剂、过氧化氢和一次洗衣循环，而多功能清洁剂、漂白剂和过氧化氢在未加工木材上最有效。总体而言，组胺减少受更积极的清洁方法（用力擦洗）或已知能去除污渍的清洁剂（过氧化氢、漂白剂）影响最大。本研究结果将提高我们减少接触这种新出现污染物的能力。
