First preliminary profile of proteins in bed bugs' saliva
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - 12:02
in Health & Medicine
With bed bugs reemerging as a nuisance in some parts of the country, scientists are reporting the first preliminary description of the bug's sialome - the saliva proteins that are the secret to Cimex lectularius' ability to suck blood from its human victims and escape to bite again with risking a lethal slap. The findings, which could have medical applications in diagnosing bed bug bites and preventing the itch, appear in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.