A survey of Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) in Japanese dental clinics

This study was to survey the capturing rate in Japanese dental clinics of the Lasioderma serricorne (cigarette beetles) , and to evaluate the beetle's potential as a carrier for transmission of nosocomial pathogens. L. serricorne imagoes were captured in pheromone traps in 14 Japanese dental clinics in August and September 2012 and 2013, and their numbers recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the bacterial antibiotic-resistant genes mecA, vanA, vanB, blaIMP, and blaVIM was performed on the captured L. serricorne imagoes. Bacterial species in the captured specimens were identified by 16S rRNA PCR and sequencing analysis. The L. serricorne imagoes were captured from 10 dental clinics (71.4%). We failed to detect the presence of nosocomial antibiotic-resistant pathogens in L. serricorne imagoes. The bacterial species detected most commonly in the imagoes was Wolbachia sp., an intracellular proteobacterium infecting certain insect species. Monitoring of insects including L. serricorne should be incorporated into regiment of the infection control.