A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Bed Bug Infestation (Cimex lectularius) as a Public Health Insect in Iran (1995 – 2019)

Abstract

Background: The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is a small hematophagous and wingless insect of the order of Hemiptera and the Cimex genus. This insect is mainly nocturnal and feeds specifically on humans. Objectives: This systematic review reflects the distribution of the bed bug and this is a hypothesis about the relationship between the mean of humidity and temperature with the bed bug infestation that the meta-analysis evaluates. Data Sources: Various electronic databases were investigated for choosing reliable research by suitable keywords during 1995 to 2019. Relevant studies were accepted regarding to the inclusion criteria. Cochrane Q and I2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity and inconsistency. Small study effects were assessed by Egger’s regression test. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA12 software. Results: Four researches were entered in this review based on inclusion criteria. According to previous studies, the prevalence of bed bug infestation was reported to be from 2.8% to 90.1% in Iran. Despite of an extensive range of insect infestation, only the reports of the bed bug distribution were published in the Kohgiluye-and-Buyer Ahmad, Esfahan and Mazandaran provinces. The weighted mean of prevalence of common bed bug infestation was obtained using random effects method. The summary estimate of the prevalence was 0.28 [95% CI: (-0.01 - 0.71)]. Conclusions: The current study showed that the prevalence of the common bed bug is mainly focused on the southern, south-western and northern provinces of Iran. Moreover, the bed bug can be called a neglected urban pest, which needs further investigation to know its distribution in the country.