Comments on: The Washington Post says to ignore the bed bug media hype http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/ bed bug news, information, activism, and support Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:19:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: nobugsonme http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-10367 nobugsonme Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:49:49 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-10367 Interestingly, a new article in the Journal of Environmental Health takes a different approach to the proliferation of bed bug news articles. Rather than seeing the spread of bed bug news as all hype, in "Bedbug infestations in the news: a picture of an emerging public health problem in the United States," A. L. Anderson and K. Leffler suggest that, <blockquote> Newspaper articles often herald the onset of a new health issue for the public, and they can be used for epidemiological tracking of increasing populations of irritating and potentially serious vectoring pests. This news coverage model is useful in validating the typical spread of a new contagious entity, or in predicting the waves of public reaction to the spread of a new pest or health problem. </blockquote> The article can be obtained from: J Environ Health. 2008 May;70(9):24-7, 52-3. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18517150?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum" rel="nofollow">You can read the full abstract here.</a> Interestingly, a new article in the Journal of Environmental Health takes a different approach to the proliferation of bed bug news articles.

Rather than seeing the spread of bed bug news as all hype, in “Bedbug infestations in the news: a picture of an emerging public health problem in the United States,” A. L. Anderson and K. Leffler suggest that,

Newspaper articles often herald the onset of a new health issue for the public, and they can be used for epidemiological tracking of increasing populations of irritating and potentially serious vectoring pests. This news coverage model is useful in validating the typical spread of a new contagious entity, or in predicting the waves of public reaction to the spread of a new pest or health problem.

The article can be obtained from: J Environ Health. 2008 May;70(9):24-7, 52-3.

You can read the full abstract here.

]]> By: nobugsonme http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-9455 nobugsonme Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:01:19 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-9455 Last week, the Washington Post shopper column did an item on "Tuesday Tips: How to Hire an Exterminator." http://blog.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/04/tuesday_tips_picking_a_pest_ki.html Last week, the Washington Post shopper column did an item on “Tuesday Tips: How to Hire an Exterminator.”

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/04/tuesday_tips_picking_a_pest_ki.html

]]> By: Washington Post prints correction thanks to bed bug activist http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-9216 Washington Post prints correction thanks to bed bug activist Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:09:14 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-9216 [...] David Segal’s article in the Washington Post was frustrating on many levels, but most of all because the actual data presented was erroneous and misleading. Kudos to Renee of NewYorkvsBedbugs.org, who was surely the party responsible for convincing the Washington Post via this campaign to correct the erroneous information used by David Segal to dismiss the size of New York’s bed bug problem. [...] […] David Segal’s article in the Washington Post was frustrating on many levels, but most of all because the actual data presented was erroneous and misleading. Kudos to Renee of NewYorkvsBedbugs.org, who was surely the party responsible for convincing the Washington Post via this campaign to correct the erroneous information used by David Segal to dismiss the size of New York’s bed bug problem. […]

]]> By: nobugsonme http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8602 nobugsonme Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:12:47 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8602 Fearthebuggers, Unfortunately, it's easier to come up with a great concept in your mind than it is to implement it safely and effectively. Also, incidentally, I don't recommend bleach for killing bed bugs. Read the FAQs for more on that! Fearthebuggers,
Unfortunately, it’s easier to come up with a great concept in your mind than it is to implement it safely and effectively.
Also, incidentally, I don’t recommend bleach for killing bed bugs. Read the FAQs for more on that!

]]> By: FearTheBuggers http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8589 FearTheBuggers Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:01:10 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8589 Why cant they create something like "frontline" (like for fleas on pets) for people and bed bugs? That I think would be more effective because you could clean with bleach (the kills all) and know every bite was a death mark to the pest. Why cant they create something like “frontline” (like for fleas on pets) for people and bed bugs? That I think would be more effective because you could clean with bleach (the kills all) and know every bite was a death mark to the pest.

]]> By: hopelessnomo http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8586 hopelessnomo Sat, 15 Mar 2008 06:12:28 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8586 That's very interesting , Nobugs. I wonder what Deane made of the Segal piece. Last item about that trailblazing contrarian, Mr. Segal. Check out the<a href="http://www.pestcontrolmag.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=318DF09F649F48518DA194EFEC723F84" rel="nofollow">barely controlled response</a> of Pest Management Professional editorial director Frank Andorka. LOL. That’s very interesting , Nobugs. I wonder what Deane made of the Segal piece.

Last item about that trailblazing contrarian, Mr. Segal. Check out thebarely controlled response of Pest Management Professional editorial director Frank Andorka.

LOL.

]]> By: nobugsonme http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8566 nobugsonme Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:25:30 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8566 I just realized that Daniela Deane (the Washington Post journalist whose personal story of bed bugs was overshadowed by David Segal's piece the same day) may have gotten her bed bugs from her husband's travel on the presidential campaign trail: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202662.html" rel="nofollow">She says, in the article,</a> While it's hard to be sure where the bed bugs came from, in a single-family house, they have to be brought in. A traveling husband could certainly have brought them home. <blockquote>My husband had developed some itchy rash, too, after several stops on the presidential campaign trail and a quick trip to Panama for work. But he was back on the road and his rash was clearing up. For me, things got worse the more time I spent time in bed. </blockquote> We have heard two previous stories of bed bugs on the campaign trail, <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2007/12/21/bed-bugs-on-the-campaign-trail/" rel="nofollow">one from Mary Chaney</a> (presumably about past campaigns) and one from <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/01/05/joe-bidens-staffers-suffered-bed-bug-bites-in-des-moines-at-iowa-caucus/" rel="nofollow">Joe Biden's staffers during their stop in Iowa this year</a>. I wonder how many campaigners and staffers encountered bed bugs this year on the campaign trail, and how many will inadvertently take them home. I just realized that Daniela Deane (the Washington Post journalist whose personal story of bed bugs was overshadowed by David Segal’s piece the same day) may have gotten her bed bugs from her husband’s travel on the presidential campaign trail:

She says, in the article,

While it’s hard to be sure where the bed bugs came from, in a single-family house, they have to be brought in. A traveling husband could certainly have brought them home.

My husband had developed some itchy rash, too, after several stops on the presidential campaign trail and a quick trip to Panama for work. But he was back on the road and his rash was clearing up.

For me, things got worse the more time I spent time in bed.

We have heard two previous stories of bed bugs on the campaign trail, one from Mary Chaney (presumably about past campaigns) and one from Joe Biden’s staffers during their stop in Iowa this year.

I wonder how many campaigners and staffers encountered bed bugs this year on the campaign trail, and how many will inadvertently take them home.

]]> By: David Segal strikes again, telling WNYC radio bed bugs are getting “hyperbolic coverage” http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8536 David Segal strikes again, telling WNYC radio bed bugs are getting “hyperbolic coverage” Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:36:26 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8536 [...] coverage = more false alarms, based on the NYCHPD data cited by the Daily News and other sources. As I wrote in my response to Segal’s Washington Post piece on 2/26, Comparing fiscal year 2006 with fiscal year 2007, according to the stats above, the percentage of [...] […] coverage = more false alarms, based on the NYCHPD data cited by the Daily News and other sources. As I wrote in my response to Segal’s Washington Post piece on 2/26, Comparing fiscal year 2006 with fiscal year 2007, according to the stats above, the percentage of […]

]]> By: nobugsonme http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8484 nobugsonme Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:18:51 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8484 I want to make a joke about people in Washington having trouble admitting they were wrong, but I will restrain myself. I want to make a joke about people in Washington having trouble admitting they were wrong, but I will restrain myself.

]]> By: hopelessnomo http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8483 hopelessnomo Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:57:24 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/2008/02/26/the-washington-post-says-to-ignore-the-bed-bug-media-hype/#comment-8483 But still no correction I notice. Don't they have fact checkers? But still no correction I notice. Don’t they have fact checkers?

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