Continuing from Wednesday…
The technique used in the experiment is called “xenointoxication” otherwise known as “poisoning the guest”. Sounds great. Some nay-sayers have argued however that bed bugs are not “worms” so a deworming medicine will not work on the pests. This small study proved with only one dose the medicine did affect more than, 60% of the bed bugs that fed on that particular night. Keeping in mind that bed bugs do not always come to the dinner table each day, it could take multiple doses of Ivermectin in order to wipe out an infestation of the creepy crawlers.
Some researchers are hopeful that this new information may be the key to helping aid pest control professionals as they fight against these tenacious bloodsuckers. If even one dose killed a good amount of these hard to kill pests, it could give a leg up on killing the rest of the bed bugs that are in hiding in a home or business environment. In addition, it is not out of the question that more doses of the medication would be safe for human consumption as well which could wipe out even more bed bugs that become hungry day after day.
For those who are fast to toss the idea to the curb, others are hopeful that the results of this small study will spark funding and approval for an even larger study to be performed. After all, every drug that has been created for whatever purpose has had people who do not believe in its ability to perform. It takes further research, qualified minds, and people dedicated to the cause to try to combat any illness, disease, and even bloodsucking pests like bed bugs.
It should be noted that prior to human subjects being tested, mice were required to be tested for the study. In the case with mice, of those that were given Ivermectin, many had positive results as 86 percent of the bed bugs were killed in the experiment.
Despite the fact that bed bugs are not considered to be a worm, this small study appears to show some beneficial results in the mice and humans that were studied. Why not study it further?