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<channel>
	<title>Got bed bugs?  Bedbugger.com &#187; anxiety</title>
	<atom:link href="http://bedbugger.com/category/anxiety/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://bedbugger.com</link>
	<description>bed bug news, information, activism, and support</description>
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		<title>University of Manitoba student rooms infested with bed bugs</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2009/06/05/university-of-manitoba-student-rooms-infested-with-bed-bugs/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2009/06/05/university-of-manitoba-student-rooms-infested-with-bed-bugs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:41:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[University of Manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apartments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug treatment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[bedbugs]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dorms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[manitoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[students]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1936</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Several dorm rooms at the University of Manitoba are infested with bed bugs; they&#8217;re undergoing treatment, and residents have been relocated to temporary accommodation.
While university officials here are &#8220;taking the issue very seriously,&#8221; according to CBC, they&#8217;re also assuring the media that bed bugs are &#8220;not a health risk&#8221; (as officials almost always do).
But universities [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Several dorm rooms at the University of Manitoba are infested with bed bugs; they&#8217;re undergoing treatment, and residents have been relocated to temporary accommodation.</p>
<p>While university officials here are &#8220;taking the issue very seriously,&#8221; according to CBC, they&#8217;re also assuring the media that bed bugs are &#8220;not a health risk&#8221; (as officials almost always do).</p>
<p>But universities should take note: bed bugs are stressful.  They cause anxiety and make people lose a lot of sleep.  Bed bug bites can cause intense itching and sometimes more serious allergic reactions.  They can make people <em>miserable</em>.</p>
<p>Magali Leveille told CBC News, bed bugs made her want to drop out of her program at the university:</p>
<blockquote><p>Leveille moved to Winnipeg from Montreal to brush up on her English through a program at the university that includes accommodations at the campus. The program brings in students from Canada and abroad that want to improve their English language skills.</p>
<p>Some say the bed bug experience has ruined the program.</p>
<p><strong>&#8220;With me, I just want to go home, and I&#8217;m just upset about that, and it&#8217;s enough,&#8221; said Leveille. &#8220;The bed bugs, it&#8217;s really not funny, and</strong> <strong>I don&#8217;t want to be in the program anymore.&#8221;</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><em>[Emphasis added.]</em></p>
<p>Note: we have heard from many students dealing with bed bugs on the Bedbugger Forums.</p>
<p>And infested dorms are often the best case scenario; students living in private rented accommodations often have less hope of seeing the problem sorted out; they are often new to the world of rented apartments, don&#8217;t know where to turn for advice, and usually receive no assistance from their colleges in dealing with deadbeat landlords.</p>
<p>Some are thinking of dropping out of their programs.  Some are failing exams.  Some are suffering from extreme anxiety and depression.</p>
<p>If that doesn&#8217;t ring parents&#8217; and university administrators&#8217; warning bells about bed bugs, I am not sure what will.</p>
<p>See the full article here: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/06/05/mb-university-bed-bugs.html">University of Manitoba residence fumigated for bed bugs</a>.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/11/21/university-of-central-missouri-and-other-missouri-colleges-vs-bed-bugs/" rel="bookmark" title="November 21, 2008">University of Central Missouri (and other Missouri colleges) vs. bed bugs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/02/02/more-bed-bugs-at-wilkes-university-in-university-towers-apartments/" rel="bookmark" title="February 2, 2009">More bed bugs at Wilkes University (in University Towers apartments)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/16/bed-bugs-and-bed-bug-legislation-in-the-news/" rel="bookmark" title="May 16, 2009">Bed bugs &#8212; and bed bug legislation &#8212; in the news</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/03/george-washington-university-has-treated-60-student-rooms-for-bed-bugs-since-fall-semester/" rel="bookmark" title="April 3, 2009">George Washington University has treated 60 student rooms for bed bugs since Fall semester</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/08/22/usa-today-focuses-on-bed-bugs-in-dorms/" rel="bookmark" title="August 22, 2008">Back to school: news media focuses on bed bugs in college dorms</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Bed bugs &#8212; and bed bug legislation &#8212; in the news</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/16/bed-bugs-and-bed-bug-legislation-in-the-news/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/16/bed-bugs-and-bed-bug-legislation-in-the-news/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2009 22:52:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA["help"]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Austin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Butterfield Bill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act 2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[H.R. 2248]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[dr. michael potter]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1878</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bed bugs are covered by some local newspapers every week.  But some syndicated stories reach a lot of readers.
One compelling story from the Springdale Gardens Apartments in Austin, Texas appeared on Wednesday on KVUE.com (click to read story or see video).
Yahoo! News picked up the video from the KVUE story on Friday, where it doubtless [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Bed bugs are covered by some local newspapers every week.  But some syndicated stories reach a lot of readers.</p>
<p>One compelling story from the Springdale Gardens Apartments in Austin, Texas appeared on Wednesday on KVUE.com (<a href="http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/051309kvue_bed_bugs-cb.22001773.html">click to read story or see video</a>).</p>
<p>Yahoo! News picked up the video from the KVUE story on Friday, where it doubtless got many more viewers.  And Yahoo! accompanied this with a McClatchy syndicated news story  (which appeared in papers all over the US on Friday) about the resurgence of bed bugs, and the recently reintroduced Butterfield Bill, the Don&#8217;t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009:</p>
<blockquote><p>Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield just introduced legislation that would authorize $50 million that&#8217;s already in the Department of Commerce budget to train health inspectors how to recognize signs of the insects.</p>
<p>The Don&#8217;t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009 also would require public housing agencies to submit bedbug inspection plans to the federal government. It would add bedbugs to a rodent and cockroach program in the Department of Health and Human Services . It also would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research bedbugs&#8217; impact on public mental health.</p>
<p>Butterfield&#8217;s letter to congressional colleagues about the legislation attracted lots of attention: It was topped with a full-color picture of the insect sitting on human skin.</p>
<p>&#8220;Unfortunately, in recent years, the United States has seen a resurgence in bedbugs,&#8221; the letter reads. &#8220;That&#8217;s right — they&#8217;re back in the sack — and biting.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>There is much more discussion of the bill in the news this time around, and &#8212; though libertarian news sites in particular enjoy jumping on this kind of bill &#8212; there&#8217;s a lot less snark and sniggering on the &#8216;net about the bill than there was last year.</p>
<p>I love how Dr. Michael Potter (of the University of Kentucky) puts the health issues caused by bed bugs in the spotlight:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Most health departments say, &#8216;Hey, we don&#8217;t deal with bedbugs,&#8217; &#8221; Potter said.</p>
<p>Those who&#8217;ve suffered outbreaks say that the anxiety it induces can be debilitating. Potter said many sufferers tossed out furniture and could spend thousands of dollars on repeated treatments from pesticide companies. They call him about anxiety, insomnia, shame and the incessant annoyance of itchy red welts on their skin.</p>
<p>&#8220;They&#8217;re, like, ready to blow their brains out,&#8221; Potter said. &#8220;It&#8217;s emotionally distressing. Anyone that has never had a bedbug problem is not one to judge whether we&#8217;re dealing with a medical, emotional public health issue.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Did you catch that?</p>
<p><strong>Yes, Dr. Potter said, &#8220;Anyone that has never had a bedbug problem is not one to judge whether we&#8217;re dealing with a medical, emotional public health issue.&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>Go Dr. Michael Potter!</p>
<p>In fact, anyone watching the video from Austin of <span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody">stressed-out mom Sommer Jackson showing off bite marks on her adorable infant</span></span>, or Sommer&#8217;s neighbor <span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody">Laketra Jackson who threw out all her bedding and still has bed bugs, should get that this problem is a big deal.</span></span></p>
<p>See: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090515/sc_mcclatchy/3234191_1">Boom in tiny bedbugs is causing big trouble</a>.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/03/steven-kells-bed-bugs-could-almost-be-considered-like-a-disease-themselves/" rel="bookmark" title="April 3, 2009">Steven Kells: bed bugs &#8220;could almost be considered like a disease themselves&#8221;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/06/05/university-of-manitoba-student-rooms-infested-with-bed-bugs/" rel="bookmark" title="June 5, 2009">University of Manitoba student rooms infested with bed bugs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/16/soundbites-from-the-epa-national-bed-bug-summit/" rel="bookmark" title="April 16, 2009">Soundbites from the EPA National Bed Bug Summit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/01/23/bed-bugs-bite-in-edmonton-sleep-disorder-clinic/" rel="bookmark" title="January 23, 2009">Bed bugs bite in Edmonton sleep disorder clinic</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/09/chicago-vs-bed-bugs-don%e2%80%99t-let-the-bed-bugs-bite-act-of-2009-new-bill-introduced-in-us-house-of-representatives/" rel="bookmark" title="May 9, 2009">Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009: new and improved</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 36.784 ms --></p>
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		<title>New York Times Health article on bed bugs: bed bugs bite</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/13/new-york-times-health-article-on-bed-bugs-bed-bugs-bite/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/13/new-york-times-health-article-on-bed-bugs-bed-bugs-bite/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:06:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jane Brody reports in the New York Times Health section today about the spread of bed bugs, and their effects on health.  Of course, she mentions the recent JAMA report, and the fact that bed bugs are not yet known to spread contagious diseases.
Brody outlines the varying effects of bed bug bites:
Most people who are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Jane Brody reports in the New York Times Health section today about the spread of bed bugs, and their effects on health.  Of course, she mentions <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/01/bed-bugs-and-public-health/" target="_blank">the recent JAMA report</a>, and the fact that bed bugs are not yet known to spread contagious diseases.</p>
<p>Brody outlines the varying effects of bed bug bites:</p>
<blockquote><p>Most people who are bitten by bed bugs do not react. Of the 30 percent or so who do, many mistake the small, pink, itchy bumps for mosquito bites, although people may become more suspicious and more sensitive with repeated bites.</p>
<p>People who are highly sensitive react with intense itching that prompts scratching and can lead to infections. One Brooklyn family did not know they were sharing quarters with bed bugs until a sensitive relative visited and woke in the morning with very itchy bites.</p>
<p>Still others may experience more extreme reactions, including asthma, generalized hives, and even a life-threatening allergy (anaphylaxis) that requires emergency treatment with epinephrine.</p>
<p>But most bed bug lesions can be treated with an anti-itch product like calamine lotion or a topical or oral corticosteroid and antihistamine. If bites become infected, a topical or oral antibiotic may be needed.</p></blockquote>
<p>Brody also mentions that a &#8220;family living in a $3 million private house in Brooklyn discarded rooms’ worth  of furniture&#8221; due to bed bugs.</p>
<p>The percentage of people reacting to bites is often cited as being anywhere from 50-70%.</p>
<p>Regardless, all bitten by bed bugs are hit financially, if not physically.  (And I&#8217;ve said time and again, if you are short of money, this can have a clear and definite negative impact on your health.)</p>
<p>And anxiety?  Stress? Lack of sleep?</p>
<p>More or less ubiquitous among bed bug sufferers, along with the hole bed bugs bite through your wallet.</p>
<p>via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/health/14brod.html?_r=1">Personal Health &#8211; Keeping Those Bed Bugs From Biting &#8211; NYTimes.com</a>.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/08/28/pest-control-technologys-aug-2009-bed-bug-supplement/" rel="bookmark" title="August 28, 2009">Pest Control Technology&#8217;s Aug. 2009 bed bug supplement</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/08/12/david-cain-on-british-radio-dr-susan-jones-in-the-plain-dealer/" rel="bookmark" title="August 12, 2009">Bed bugs in the media: David Cain on British radio, Dr. Susan Jones in the Plain Dealer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/09/chicago-vs-bed-bugs-don%e2%80%99t-let-the-bed-bugs-bite-act-of-2009-new-bill-introduced-in-us-house-of-representatives/" rel="bookmark" title="May 9, 2009">Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009: new and improved</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/10/04/bed-bugs-bite-edmonton/" rel="bookmark" title="October 4, 2009">Bed bugs bite Edmonton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/02/12/megan-mcardle-on-atlanticcom-bed-bugs-and-craigslist/" rel="bookmark" title="February 12, 2009">Megan McArdle on Atlantic.com: bed bugs and Craigslist</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 36.190 ms --></p>
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		<title>Bed Bugs and Public Health</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/01/bed-bugs-and-public-health/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/01/bed-bugs-and-public-health/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:07:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[allergic reactions]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs and health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bedbugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dr. jerome goddard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dr. richard deshazo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entomologists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[puclic health significance]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1489</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The news was abuzz today with reports about a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, from Jerome Goddard and Richard DeShazo. It&#8217;s a review of past research on the question of whether bed bugs transmit disease.
. . . in the April 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>The news was abuzz today with reports about <a href="http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/301/13/1358">a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, from Jerome Goddard and Richard DeShazo.</a> It&#8217;s a review of past research on the question of whether bed bugs transmit disease.</p>
<blockquote><p>. . . in the April 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers reviewed all of the studies done on the pesky critters to date and found no evidence of disease transmission.They did find that some people have reactions to the bites, but these reactions are usually short-lived.</p>
<p><strong>&#8220;While there is a nuisance effect from bed bug bites, the public health significance is minimal,&#8221; </strong>said study author Jerome Goddard, an associate professor of entomology at Mississippi State University in Jackson. &#8220;It&#8217;s not good. Nobody wants to have blood sucked out of them, but in the scheme of things, they&#8217;re not carrying malaria or anything like that.&#8221;</p>
<p>Goddard and his colleague, Dr. Richard deShazo from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, reviewed 53 studies on bed bugs published over the past 50 years.</p>
<p>Interestingly, they found that only about half of the people who are bitten show signs of a bite. And, for those who do react, the reaction can vary from a slight red spot that&#8217;s intensely itchy like a mosquito bite to anaphylactic shock (a life-threatening allergic reaction), according to Goddard. But, he noted, anaphylactic shock is very rare.</p></blockquote>
<p>via Yahoo&#8217;s <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090331/hl_hsn/bedbugsbringnodiseasedanger">Bed Bugs Bring No Disease Danger</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=6738265">7ONLINE.COM</a> in New York also picked up this story.</p>
<p>I do appreciate what the study is doing to bring together knowledge from prior studies done on this question.  Bed bugs are not now known to be transmitting a disease like malaria, and believe me, I am glad.  It&#8217;s important to note, however, that we don&#8217;t know whether this will <em>always</em> be the case.</p>
<p>Even if it were, I feel strongly that if itchy <strong>skin reactions, sleeplessness, and stress </strong>were the only health effects caused by bed bugs, that these &#8212; in many cases &#8212; can be seen as <em>significant</em> health problems for sufferers.</p>
<p>But those are <em>not</em> the only health effects caused by bed bugs.</p>
<p>We have heard from readers of this website who went to the ER with anaphylactic shock because of bed bug bites, and those who have been diagnosed as having an Acute Traumatic Stress Disorder arising from the anxiety of living with a chronic bed bug infestation.</p>
<p>While such reactions are rare, many people do not sleep properly, often while battling bed bugs for many months (or longer).</p>
<p>There are also people on low incomes who have to decide between spending precious funds on nourishing foods, medicines, and other necessities, or on bed bug sprays, plastic bags, and endless loads of laundry.  In this economic climate, surely bed bugs are affecting the health of children and elderly people in these situations?</p>
<p>And what about people who &#8212; in acts of desperation and in the absence of good, affordable, professional help &#8212; attempt to self-treat their bed bug problems, harming themselves by inhaling pool-grade diatomaceous earth, or over- and mis-applying pesticide sprays?</p>
<p>As the Yahoo article notes, bed bugs can be extremely hard to treat, especially in multi-unit dwellings.  More people than you think are living with <em>chronic, ongoing</em> bed bug infestations.</p>
<p>The media keeps telling us that stress or a chronic lack of sleep in and of themselves may contribute to serious health problems and even to the onset of disease.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization thought enough of the <em>public health significance </em>of bed bugs to put them on the cover of their 2008 report entitled <em>The Public Health Significance of Urban Pests</em>, which you can download <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20080617_9">here.</a></p>
<p>The WHO said in this report last year,</p>
<blockquote><p>Besides the effects of direct bites, <strong>airborne common bedbug allergens that are always released during infestations may produce bronchial asthma</strong>. Within a group of 54 asthmatic Egyptian patients, 37.1% reacted positively to a common bedbug head and thorax extract, and 50.1% reacted positively to an abdominal common bedbug extract (Abou Gamra et al., 1991). <strong>Numerous routine bedbug bites can contribute to anaemia and may even make a person more susceptible to common diseases </strong>(Usinger, 1966; Snetsinger, 1997). Some people can develop <strong>a general malaise</strong> from numerous bedbug bites; that, along with the loss of sleep and extreme itching of bug bites, can lower a person’s vitality and make individuals listless and almost constantly uncomfortable (2008: 138-139).</p></blockquote>
<p>And, the WHO recommended that</p>
<blockquote><p>Research should be encouraged and carried out to determine <strong>whether or not bedbugs can successfully transmit human pathogens</strong>, especially those that cause new or emerging diseases (2008: 149).</p></blockquote>
<p>And that</p>
<blockquote><p>Research should be encouraged and carried out <strong>to further characterize the nature and effective treatment of the effects on people of unusual, extreme or very persistent bedbug bites</strong> (2008: 149).</p></blockquote>
<p>Let&#8217;s definitely be grateful bed bugs have not <em>yet</em> been shown to transmit disease, but let&#8217;s also hope entomologists continue to study this question &#8212; and other questions about bed bugs&#8217; effect on our health &#8212; with continuing research.<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/08/28/pest-control-technologys-aug-2009-bed-bug-supplement/" rel="bookmark" title="August 28, 2009">Pest Control Technology&#8217;s Aug. 2009 bed bug supplement</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/13/new-york-times-health-article-on-bed-bugs-bed-bugs-bite/" rel="bookmark" title="April 13, 2009">New York Times Health article on bed bugs: bed bugs <em>bite</em></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/11/10/halifax-tenants-dealing-with-with-bed-bugs-and-unsympathetic-health-department/" rel="bookmark" title="November 10, 2008">Halifax tenants dealing with with bed bugs and unsympathetic health department</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/07/30/ohio-county-wv-health-dept-official-bed-bugs-public-health-nuisance-and-psychological-disaster/" rel="bookmark" title="July 30, 2009">Ohio County, WV Health Dept. official: bed bugs &#8220;public health nuisance&#8221; and &#8220;psychological disaster&#8221;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/17/what-percentage-of-people-react-to-bed-bug-bites/" rel="bookmark" title="April 17, 2009">What percentage of people react to bed bug bites?</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Horrific story from Ottawa: bed bug sufferer overdoses</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/12/04/horrific-story-from-ottawa-bed-bug-sufferer-overdoses/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/12/04/horrific-story-from-ottawa-bed-bug-sufferer-overdoses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:26:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jadwiga Dziedziczak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ottawa Citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wurtemburg Street]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[overdose]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1259</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This story first made me want to cry.
And then it made me want to smash my hand into the wall.
The Ottawa Citizen reported today on the story of a local woman named Jadwiga Dziedziczak, aged 60.  For ten years, she&#8217;s lived in an Ottawa public housing unit on Wurtemburg Street. 
She had bed bugs. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>This story first made me want to cry.</p>
<p>And <em>then</em> it made me want to smash my hand into the wall.</p>
<p>The Ottawa Citizen reported today on the story of a local woman named Jadwiga Dziedziczak, aged 60.  For ten years, she&#8217;s lived in an Ottawa public housing unit on Wurtemburg Street. </p>
<p>She had bed bugs.  After many treatments and many months, she still had them.  But those who could help her did not believe it.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was so much stress from so little sleep that she often used sleeping pills to help her cope at night.&#8221;  And two weeks ago, she overdosed on the sleeping pills.</p>
<p>Friends and neighbors tried to help her navigate the public housing and public health offices, to get help despite her limited English.</p>
<p>The story is a testament to how stressful bed bugs can be, especially when the people responsible for keeping your home bed bug-free (the housing agency) think you are <em>imagining</em> a continued infestation.</p>
<p>Oh Lord yes, we have heard this one before.</p>
<blockquote><p>
Ms. Dziedziczak couldn&#8217;t fathom the idea of using her bed any more for fear of more bites and welts. She slept in the tub, on the floor and even on a chair with her head on the table, wrapped in sheets and blankets in an attempt to shield herself from the bugs. She even threw her old mattress out and bought a new one a month or so ago, but she stopped using it almost immediately after finding more bugs. Now that mattress and a couch have been thrown out, too.</p>
<p>Ms. Dziedziczak figures city-hired exterminators have been to her unit about five or six times in the last 10 months and says she was ridiculed occasionally by those who came to spray her bed. <strong>They told her she was imagining things.</strong> Her friends say the exterminators probably never did a thorough job because of their attitude and were usually gone within minutes of arriving. One even suggested that Mickey had a flea problem, but a veterinarian told her the dog was fine.</p>
<p><strong>People in her building embarrassed her by suggesting her apartment was dirty. Those who know say she is impeccably clean. </strong>Her sister, who lives in the Alta Vista area, stopped visiting because she was afraid of getting bugs in her clothing and bringing them to her home.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>It&#8217;s no wonder she felt so much stress, on top of the lack of sleep.  My heart goes out to this woman and to all others who are suffering from bed bugs and simply not getting the help they need &#8212; even why they <em>know </em>they need help, when they <em>ask</em> for it, and even when there&#8217;s someone whose <em>duty</em> it is to provide it.</strong></p>
<p>Thank goodness the overdose was not fatal.  Ms. Dziedziczak is hospitalized.  Her home is apparently still infested with bed bugs, and she&#8217;s still in the hospital, waiting for a bed bug-free home to go to. </p>
<p>The article also reports that 1,300 public housing units have been treated for bed bugs this year in Ottawa.  And that</p>
<blockquote><p>
Ottawa Community Housing is asking the city to increase pest-control spending to $420,000 from $240,000. A &#8220;healthy&#8221; portion of pest control goes toward bedbug extermination, says Jo-Anne Poirier, chief executive of the housing agency.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong><br />
Ottawa needs help.  They need to follow in Toronto&#8217;s footsteps, declaring bed bugs a public enemy and a problem.  And they need to rally their best resources to fight them.</strong><br />
<strong><br />
Above all else, public health agencies need to recognize that bed bugs are a public health problem.  If nothing else, they cause anxiety and sleeplessness, allergic reactions, and itching from bites.  They cause stress.</strong></p>
<p>And a lack of sleep can cause other health problems.  <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/05/12/toronto/">Let&#8217;s not forget Theresa Kelly.</a></p>
<p>Even more troubling, Itchy-scratchy tells us, in the forums, there&#8217;s been at least <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/my-neighbours-death">one suicide</a> in Ottawa we can probably attribute to bed bugs.  And check out <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/ottawa-woman-overdoses-please-read">the discussion of this article</a> on the forums too.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re in Ottawa and have bed bugs, the paper wants to hear from you.  The article ends with this invitation:</p>
<blockquote><p>
Is anything broken or bugging you where you live? Please let us know.</p>
<p>Contact: thepubliccitizen@thecitizen.canwest.com</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.faceoff.com/hockey/columnists/bios/story.html?id=158426f1-5c42-4c03-ba9b-34a5926b529b&#038;add_feed_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faceoff.com%2Fscripts%2Fcolumns.aspx%3Fpublication%3DOttawa%2BCitizen%26byline%3Dhugh%2Badami&#038;p=1"><br />
And read the entire story in the Ottawa Citizen, now.</a><br />
<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/09/15/more-toronto-bed-bug-stories-from-joe-fiorito/" rel="bookmark" title="September 15, 2008">More Toronto bed bug stories from Joe Fiorito</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/23/north-carolina-shelter-with-bed-bugs-outlook-grim/" rel="bookmark" title="May 23, 2009">North Carolina shelter with bed bugs: outlook grim</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/09/21/bed-bugs-at-college-suny-potsdam/" rel="bookmark" title="September 21, 2008">Bed bugs at college: SUNY Potsdam</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/09/24/bed-bugs-infest-multiple-areas-of-new-yorks-john-jay-college-cuny/" rel="bookmark" title="September 24, 2009">Bed bugs infest multiple areas of New York&#8217;s John Jay College (CUNY)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/08/02/worst-case-of-bed-bugs-dover-health-inspector-has-seen/" rel="bookmark" title="August 2, 2009">Worst case of bed bugs Dover health inspector has seen</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Halifax tenants dealing with with bed bugs and unsympathetic health department</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/11/10/halifax-tenants-dealing-with-with-bed-bugs-and-unsympathetic-health-department/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/11/10/halifax-tenants-dealing-with-with-bed-bugs-and-unsympathetic-health-department/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:33:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[anaphylaxis]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1221</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Chronicle Herald in Halifax had more to say about bed bugs on Sunday, reminding readers that it can be hard to get a landlord to deal with bed bugs in private rentals, and pointing out exactly why the provincial government isn&#8217;t getting involved:
Tenants who move into privately owned apartments already infested with bedbugs might [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1089388.html">The Chronicle Herald in Halifax</a> had more to say about bed bugs on Sunday, reminding readers that it can be hard to get a landlord to deal with bed bugs in private rentals, and pointing out exactly why the provincial government isn&#8217;t getting involved:</p>
<blockquote><p>Tenants who move into privately owned apartments already infested with bedbugs might have trouble finding help to deal with unsympathetic landlords.</p>
<p>The provincial government doesn’t typically have much to do with that type of problem because it isn’t considered a risk to the public, Tara Walsh of the Department of Health Promotion and Protection said. &#8220;We wouldn’t address it.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Similar to lice, it’s a public health nuisance. There’s not a public health threat, it’s not a communicable disease, so it doesn’t cause disease, it’s just an infestation.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><em>&#8220;It&#8217;s just an infestation.&#8221;<br />
</em><br />
I strongly believe that this kind of thinking is a failure of the imagination on the part of the public health officials in Nova Scotia.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization seems to think bed bugs are a public health concern.  So much so, that <a href="http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2008/07/17/public-health-significance-of-bed-bugs-a-new-tool-for-action/">as Renee of New York vs. Bed Bugs noted, WHO put a bed bug on the cover of </a> this recent publication entitled <a href="http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20080617_9">The Public Health Significance of Urban Pests</a>, alongside a rat and a tick. </p>
<p><em>Not</em> alongside a louse, or a carpenter ant, or a carpet beetle.</p>
<p>Though bed bugs are not yet known to spread communicable diseases, they obviously cause problems with sleep, anxiety, and intense itching.  The WHO study identifies allergic and immune system reactions to bed bug bites, including (occasionally) anaphylaxis, as well as a possible connection with bronchial asthma.  </p>
<p>And desperate people may harm themselves and their families by misusing pesticides while attempting to get rid of their problems. </p>
<p>In addition, when people are on a tight budget, an unexpected outlay of funds (for bed bug treatment, or to replace discarded items) may also contribute to other health problems, because funds may be re-appropriated from other areas of life, such as the purchase of healthy foods.</p>
<p>You can read the Chronicle Herald article <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1089388.html">here</a>.  And <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/11/08/more-stories-of-bed-bugs-in-halifax-public-housing/">read this story from yesterday</a>, which shows that even in Halifax public housing, where the landlord does cover bed bug treatment, solutions to bed bug problems may be slow to reach tenants.<br />
<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/04/01/bed-bugs-and-public-health/" rel="bookmark" title="April 1, 2009">Bed Bugs and Public Health</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/07/30/ohio-county-wv-health-dept-official-bed-bugs-public-health-nuisance-and-psychological-disaster/" rel="bookmark" title="July 30, 2009">Ohio County, WV Health Dept. official: bed bugs &#8220;public health nuisance&#8221; and &#8220;psychological disaster&#8221;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/05/21/towels-under-the-door-when-cities-abandon-tenants-with-bed-bugs/" rel="bookmark" title="May 21, 2009">Towels under the door: when cities abandon tenants with bed bugs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/08/12/fox-chicago-engages-the-tenants-vs-landlords-debate-whos-to-blame-for-bed-bugs/" rel="bookmark" title="August 12, 2008">Fox Chicago engages with the tenants vs. landlords bed bug blame game</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/08/28/pest-control-technologys-aug-2009-bed-bug-supplement/" rel="bookmark" title="August 28, 2009">Pest Control Technology&#8217;s Aug. 2009 bed bug supplement</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 37.096 ms --></p>
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		<title>Farmington Days Inn treats for bed bugs; New Mexico&#8217;s laws still need attention</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/15/farmington-days-inn-treats-for-bed-bugs-new-mexicos-laws-still-need-attention/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/15/farmington-days-inn-treats-for-bed-bugs-new-mexicos-laws-still-need-attention/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:12:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[allergic reactions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bedbugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmington]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lack of sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bedding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carpeting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[days inn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[department of health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[illnesses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infectious diseases]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1189</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Farmington, New Mexico paper The Daily Times reports that the Days Inn which was recently in the news and where travelers claim to have been finding bed bugs at least since the summer of 2007 is now getting professional treatment.  
The problem of bed bugs in New Mexico lodging, however, is not as easy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><a href="http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_10722364">Farmington, New Mexico paper The Daily Times reports</a> that the Days Inn <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/09/30/police-officers-get-a-bed-bug-rude-awakening-in-new-mexico/">which was recently in the news</a> and where travelers claim to have been finding bed bugs at least since the summer of 2007 is now getting professional treatment.  </p>
<p>The problem of bed bugs in New Mexico lodging, however, is not as easy to treat.  According to <a href="http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_10722364">the Daily Times</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>
Besides distress and disgust on the part of bite victims, it&#8217;s maddening because no regulations exist in New Mexico to ensure lodging establishments deal with the problem correctly.</p>
<p>The Department of Health has no bedbug-related regulations.</p>
<p>Because the biting insects don&#8217;t spread disease, New Mexico Environment Department is not involved, either.</p>
<p>Unless the business at which a customer was bitten is a member of New Mexico Lodging Association or Convention and Visitors Bureau in Farmington, the onus is on the bite victim to seek redress from hotel management. </p></blockquote>
<p>The treatment by Albuquerque&#8217;s Ecolab is going floor by floor, since guests are still staying in the hotel.  The hotel also replaced all the bedding and carpeting.  <em>And</em> the hotel manager.</p>
<p>But make no mistake: bed bugs don&#8217;t come to hotels with bad managers.  Bed bug infestations can happen in any hotel at any time, and so hotels need to have a plan for detecting bed bugs and treating them, before they get out of hand.  They should not be waiting for guests to point the bed bugs out to them, since bed bugs are notoriously difficult to detect.</p>
<p>Similarly, the owners of hotels should not be assuming employees know about the problem: managers, cleaning and maintenance staff and others who work in hotels need to be trained on how to prevent and detect bed bugs, and on what is needed to treat them properly.  They need ongoing professional advice from people who know bed bugs.</p>
<p>And, in addition, we should not assume all hotel owners know enough about the bed bug problem, or give a hoot about it.  Government regulation serves the purpose of setting standards and enforcing them.  I don&#8217;t want to get all big government on you, but personally, I don&#8217;t want to leave it up to chance as to whether my hotel management gives a darn about bed bugs or not.</p>
<p>People who suggest that the hotel industry will lose money and begin to regulate itself do not understand how long bed bugs can breed and bite people and continue to spread before even being seen by a hotel guest.  In the case of this hotel, we have a pair of police officers this month, and a pair of couples who filed suit after being bitten by bed bugs in different rooms on different floors in the same Days Inn in summer 2007 according to <a href="http://www.topix.net/forum/source/farmington-daily-times/TDNRGJ52OFJ19ANU6">another Daily Times article that has now gone offline.<br />
</a><br />
How many people do you think were bitten by bed bugs in that hotel, and potentially brought them home, in the space of more than a year?  I would guess many, but I would also suspect most of them did not see the bed bugs or complain about them.</p>
<p>The story of the Days Inn came to light two weeks ago when <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/09/30/police-officers-get-a-bed-bug-rude-awakening-in-new-mexico/">some local police officers found bed bugs in their hotel room</a> and discovered there was no public body or official they could complain to.  There was only the hotel manager.</p>
<p>Note to travelers: check whether your hotel is a member of the New Mexico Lodging Association, so you at least have someone to complain to about your hotel room&#8217;s bed bugs, until the laws in this state get better.</p>
<p>People of New Mexico, you might want to tell the Department of Health that infectious diseases aren&#8217;t the only health problems that can plague people; bed bugs cause plenty, from psychological distress and anxiety, bed bug bites and related skin problems, and other allergic reactions, to a lack of sleep, which <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html">researchers tell us may bring on a whole host of illnesses</a>.  </p>
<p>The use of money to pay for everything from extra laundry and plastic bags to pest control treatment which may get into the high thousands can also have implications for a person&#8217;s health, when someone on a budget has to choose between paying for medication and healthy food, or dealing with the extra costs related to bed bugs.  People also sometimes resort to extreme and potentially dangerous measures to get rid of bed bugs, which can cause definite health problems too.</p>
<p>So, yes, bed bugs <em>are</em> a health problem.  Even though they are not known to spread infectious diseases at this time.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d really like public officials who deny that bed bugs are a health problem to move into a hotel room infested with bed bugs, and determine first-hand whether they&#8217;re just a &#8220;nuisance,&#8221; as we&#8217;re so often told.  I have a hunch they&#8217;d discover a list of negative health effects <em>pretty quickly.</em><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/09/30/police-officers-get-a-bed-bug-rude-awakening-in-new-mexico/" rel="bookmark" title="September 30, 2008">Police officers get a bed bug rude awakening in New Mexico</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 32.286 ms --></p>
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		<title>Toronto municipal councillor pushes for bed bugs to be declared a health hazard</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/14/toronto-municipal-councillor-pushes-for-bed-bugs-to-be-declared-a-health-hazard/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/14/toronto-municipal-councillor-pushes-for-bed-bugs-to-be-declared-a-health-hazard/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:23:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bedbugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[howard moscoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ontario]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toronto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allergic reactions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs and health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health hazard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toronto municipal council]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1188</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Toronto Municipal Councillor Howard Moscoe is pushing for bed bugs to be declared a health hazard in that city.  The question is not just a semantic one.
In Toronto, defining bed bugs as a &#8220;health hazard&#8221; would have legal ramifications.  The CBC reports:
&#8220;Because the Health Act does not declare them a health hazard, you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Toronto Municipal Councillor Howard Moscoe is pushing for bed bugs to be declared a health hazard in that city.  The question is not just a semantic one.</p>
<p>In Toronto, defining bed bugs as a &#8220;health hazard&#8221; would have legal ramifications.  The CBC reports:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Because the Health Act does not declare them a health hazard, you can&#8217;t force a neighbouring tenant to allow the city in to spray for bugs, so it&#8217;s a significant dilemma for people who have them,&#8221; he told CBC News.</p>
<p>Moscoe said he will make his case to the health board at its next meeting.</p></blockquote>
<p>If neighbors can&#8217;t be forced to treat for bed bugs, those neighbors can force those around them to live with bed bugs indefinitely, or move.</p>
<p>Yes, bed bugs are not yet known to spread infectious diseases.  However, they do cause indisputable health problems, including anxiety and lack of sleep, itchy bed bug bites, and in some cases, more serious allergic reactions.<br />
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/10/13/to-bedbugs1013.html"><br />
You can read the CBC article on this issue here.</a><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/07/30/ohio-county-wv-health-dept-official-bed-bugs-public-health-nuisance-and-psychological-disaster/" rel="bookmark" title="July 30, 2009">Ohio County, WV Health Dept. official: bed bugs &#8220;public health nuisance&#8221; and &#8220;psychological disaster&#8221;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/01/29/san-diego-state-university-dont-wait-for-students-to-show-you-a-bed-bug/" rel="bookmark" title="January 29, 2009">San Diego State University: don&#8217;t wait for students to show you a bed bug</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/02/02/more-bed-bugs-at-wilkes-university-in-university-towers-apartments/" rel="bookmark" title="February 2, 2009">More bed bugs at Wilkes University (in University Towers apartments)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/09/27/excerpt-from-bed-bugs-ii-by-bryan-lewis-saunders/" rel="bookmark" title="September 27, 2009">excerpt from &#8220;Bed Bugs II&#8221; by Bryan Lewis Saunders</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/02/09/another-journalist-tells-own-bed-bug-tale-of-woe-this-time-michael-hann-in-the-guardian-uk/" rel="bookmark" title="February 9, 2009">Another journalist tells own bed bug tale of woe, this time Michael Hann in the Guardian (UK)</a></li>
</ul>
<p><!-- Similar Posts took 37.302 ms --></p>
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		<title>We love Dr. Susan Jones, Entomologist</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/01/we-love-dr-susan-jones-entomologist/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/10/01/we-love-dr-susan-jones-entomologist/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:18:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug Task Force]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hamilton County]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cincinnati]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[columbus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dr. susan jones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entomologist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ohio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spread of bed bugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[usa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roaches]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why?
Because she&#8217;s one of those entomologists who&#8217;s telling it like it is, to public officials who want to ignore the bed bug problem.  The Columbus Dispatch quoted Jones Tuesday as saying,
&#8220;If you bury your head in the sand, you&#8217;re going to get bitten, and it&#8217;s just going to get worse and worse,&#8221; said Susan [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Why?</p>
<p>Because she&#8217;s one of those entomologists who&#8217;s telling it like it is, to public officials who want to ignore the bed bug problem.  <a href="http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/30/bed_bugs.html?sid=101">The Columbus Dispatch quoted Jones Tuesday</a> as saying,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;If you bury your head in the sand, you&#8217;re going to get bitten, and it&#8217;s just going to get worse and worse,&#8221; said Susan Jones, an entomology professor at Ohio State University.
</p></blockquote>
<p>And because she&#8217;s trying to convince public health officials that bed bugs are a <em>health</em> problem, something many health officials <em>don&#8217;t</em> seem to get:</p>
<blockquote><p>
&#8220;The question is: Is it a public-health issue or not?&#8221; Columbus Health Department spokesman Jose Rodriguez said. &#8220;Bedbugs are really looked upon as a nuisance issue.&#8221;</p>
<p>OSU&#8217;s Jones, however, said scabbing, secondary infections and the anxiety caused by fearing your own bed are serious health concerns.</p></blockquote>
<p><em>Amen.</em>  It&#8217;s not just about the bed bug bites, for crying out loud.  </p>
<p>Those alone are often more than a nuisance, but the loss of sleep, anxiety, and loss of money due to treatment or preparations for treatment (which can mean people do not get the food, health care, or other resources they need) can have even more serious health consequences for many.</p>
<p>Susan Jones is involved with the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Joint Bed Bug <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/03/28/cincinnati-citycounty-combined-bed-bug-task-force-drafts-bed-bug-plan-not-a-moment-too-soon/">Task</a> <a href="http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2008/05/25/note-to-cincinnati-and-hamilton-county-you-are-killing-us/">Force.</a></p>
<blockquote><p>
Code enforcement handles individual complaints, but Jones recommends a centralized master plan.</p>
<p>She suggested a task force that combines the expertise of pest-control, health, code-enforcement and housing agencies. Trends would be easier to spot with all the complaints and treatment numbers in one place, and a task force also could coordinate a publicity campaign to tell people how to stop the spread of bedbugs.</p>
<p>People should seal infested furniture in plastic before disposing of it; travelers ought to check hotel beds for pests; and exterminators need to know that bedbugs are harder to kill than most insects, experts said.</p>
<p>Jones works with a similar task force in Hamilton County. The group was launched after the Cincinnati Health Department received 737 bedbug complaints in 2007 &#8211; the same number as for mice, rats and roaches combined.</p></blockquote>
<p><em><br />
I wonder how New York City&#8217;s bed bug complaints stack up against our complaints for mice /rats / roaches?</em></p>
<p>The article&#8217;s basic focus is on how Columbus / Franklin County, Ohio need to step up their own response to bed bugs.  </p>
<p>Well, you know what they say: admitting your city or county has a bed bug problem is the first step towards solving it.<br />
<strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/08/05/british-nhs-hospitals-have-frequent-pest-infestations-including-bed-bugs/" rel="bookmark" title="August 5, 2008">British NHS hospitals have frequent pest infestations, including bed bugs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2007/02/20/bad-news-apictureofmes-caryns-got-bed-bugs-again/" rel="bookmark" title="February 20, 2007">bad news: APictureofMe&#8217;s Caryn&#8217;s got bed bugs, again</a></li>
<li><a href="http://bedbugger.com/2009/01/09/bed-bugs-as-big-business-1939-post-office-london-directory/" rel="bookmark" title="January 9, 2009">Bed bugs as big business: 1939 Post Office London Directory</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Bed bugs in another women&#8217;s shelter in Charlotte, North Carolina</title>
		<link>http://bedbugger.com/2008/06/28/bed-bugs-in-another-womens-shelter-in-charlotte-north-carolina/</link>
		<comments>http://bedbugger.com/2008/06/28/bed-bugs-in-another-womens-shelter-in-charlotte-north-carolina/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:41:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>nobugsonme</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Charlotte]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allergic reactions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bug bites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed bugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bedbugs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[domestic violence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homelessness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loss of sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[north carolina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salvation army]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shelters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skin irritation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[united family services]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://bedbugger.com/?p=1048</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A Charlotte, North Carolina shelter that houses women who have suffered domestic violence has evacuated residents for several weeks while bed bugs are removed, according to the Charlotte Observer:

The Charlotte-area United Family Services domestic violence shelter has evacuated its residents to “a safe place” in order to battle a recent infestation of bedbugs, said Libby [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>A Charlotte, North Carolina shelter that houses women who have suffered domestic violence has evacuated residents for several weeks while bed bugs are removed, <a href="http://www.charlotte.com/local/story/690228.html">according to the Charlotte Observer:</a></p>
<blockquote><p>
The Charlotte-area United Family Services domestic violence shelter has evacuated its residents to “a safe place” in order to battle a recent infestation of bedbugs, said Libby McLaughlin, vice president of development and communication. The staff anticipates reopening the shelter in two to three weeks.</p>
<p>But the move has added to the difficulties the women face, which include other time constraints. Shelter rules dictate that, upon arrival, residents have 30 days to find a job and another place to stay.</p>
<p>The bites and rashes from the bedbugs have made it hard for some women to find a job. And the medicine given to fight the itching, such as steroids or Benadryl, has triggered the addictions of some women with substance abuse problems.</p>
<p>“People are saying to go back home,” said one anonymous shelter resident. “I don&#8217;t have that option, because I&#8217;m not going back home.”</p></blockquote>
<p>One would hope that the normal rules of the shelter would be adapted during such a crisis.  </p>
<p>While removed from much more dangerous situations in their homes, these women have still been suffering from a lesser kind of &#8220;domestic crisis.&#8221;  It&#8217;s a lot to expect for women who may be losing a lot of sleep and suffering from stress, visible bed bug bites, and itching (which can be quite uncomfortable) to find new jobs and a new home within thirty days.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ve previously reported on another Charlotte shelter, the Salvation Army women&#8217;s shelter, which houses homeless women, and which has been battling bed bugs <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2007/08/14/bed-bug-news-round-up-south-jersey-apartment-complex-charlotte-north-carolina-salvation-army-shelter/">off and on</a> for <a href="http://bedbugger.com/2008/06/12/charlotte-nc-salvation-army-womens-shelter-still-has-bed-bugs/">nearly a year</a>.  The Salvation Army has apparently spent $50,000 in the last few weeks on renovations aimed at eliminating their bed bug problems.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the United Family Services shelter has invested in new flooring, mattresses and bedding. It has also purchased a new dryer and new metal frame beds.  (It is not mentioned in the article, but I hope they are getting good, aggressive pest control treatment as well.)</p>
<p>Local public health officials stress bed bugs are not a health problem,</p>
<blockquote><p>
“This is not a public health pest,” said Lynn Lathan, environmental health supervisor for the Mecklenburg County Health Department. “They&#8217;re annoying, but not transmitting disease.”</p></blockquote>
<p>However, I personally think that a condition which can cause serious skin irritation, visible welts all over your face and body, other allergic reactions, anxiety and loss of sleep <em>is</em> a health concern.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the women at United Family Services have worse threats to worry about:</p>
<blockquote><p>
For women in the United Family Services shelter, there&#8217;s a choice: Face the bugs in the shelter, or face abuse at home.</p>
<p>“I have a choice of going back to my husband and getting punched in the eye or getting eaten by bugs,” said one anonymous shelter resident.</p></blockquote>
<p>We can only hope things are better for these women soon.</p>
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