Researchers have unveiled the secret to immortality: they've discovered why bedbugs are nearly impossible to exterminate.

Bed bugs, long recognized for their resilience and the disruption they cause to the comfort of those unfortunate enough to host them, have become an increasing concern in recent years due to their growing resistance to common insecticides. Recently, scientists have made strides in uncovering the secret behind their peculiar immortality, with genetics emerging as a key factor, as reported by Cosmos.

In a new study published in the journal Insects, researchers explored the genetic foundations of bed bug resistance, enabling them to draw significant conclusions that could shape future pest control strategies. The team compared two populations of bed bugs: one laboratory strain from Nagasaki (Japan) that had been exposed to insecticides for over six decades, and another from a hotel in Hiroshima in 2010.

The latter exhibited resistance to pyrethroids—widely used insecticides—almost 20,000 times greater than the strain from Nagasaki. By analyzing its genome, the team identified 729 genetic transcripts with mutations linked to resistance, affecting mechanisms such as DNA damage response, cell cycle regulation, insulin metabolism, and lysosomal functions.

Dr. Kouhei Toga from Hiroshima University, the study's author, emphasized that these pathways are crucial for understanding and potentially countering pyrethroid resistance in such organisms. This genetic profiling opens up possibilities not only for developing more effective pest control methods but also for real-time monitoring of their resistance to insecticides in wild populations. As Dr. Toga noted, editing resistance-related genomes could reveal evolutionary trajectories and adaptation mechanisms in bed bugs.

The issue of insecticide resistance is unfortunately not limited to bed bugs. Research indicates that resistance among other pests, such as mosquitoes and cockroaches, has also increased due to prolonged and widespread chemical usage. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported significant resistance to at least one insecticide in 78% of countries where mosquito population studies were conducted.

This trend highlights the urgent need for the implementation of innovative pest control methods, including genetic tools, biological control agents, and integrated pest management strategies, according to the authors. Another challenge is that bed bugs do not transmit diseases but cause secondary health issues such as allergic reactions and infections from bites.

The psychological impact of infestations, including stress and sleep loss, exacerbates the social and economic burden. Effective solutions could significantly alleviate these cascading effects, especially in urban areas where invasions are most common, the scientists stated.

Advancements in genome editing, such as CRISPR, present new opportunities for science to directly target the necessary genes of organisms, potentially reducing public reliance on questionable chemical treatments. Such approaches could revolutionize pest control, making it not only more effective but also more environmentally friendly, the authors believe.

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