Edward Reed and Juanise Rayford are among eleven residents who are suing the Midland Motor Inn, a motel on Staten Island, because of bed bugs.  Staten Island Live reports that

The couple are among 11 motel residents who have recently sued the building owner, 630 Midmot Corp., in state Supreme Court, St. George.

The plaintiffs, who seek unspecified monetary damages, contend they have been “severely” bitten and sickened by “unabated” bedbug infestation.

Several of them have been diagnosed with scabies, a contagious skin infection, said their lawyer, Alan D. Levine of Queens.

“It’s made it impossible for them to sleep,” said Levine. “Many of them have had multiple visits to doctors or hospitals.”

It is important to note that bed bugs do not cause scabies, which is an unrelated  skin disease caused by the scabies mite which burrows under skin.

However, the article also details allegations of bed bug bites and the presence of bed bugs (with photos of samples).  New York’s Housing and Preservation Department inspectors cited bed bug violations in one room in May and June.

Some residents placed by Project Hospitality are being relocated to city shelters.

See:  Suit says bedbugs infest motel on Staten Island – SILive.com.

Update (9/4/2009):

The Midland Motor Inn still has bed bugs, according to a story Friday in the Staten Island Advance. Councilman James Oddo has vowed to continue exerting pressure on the motel owner to solve the problem, the SI Advance reports:

“I pledge to you that on behalf of the beleaguered Midland Beach community, who have endured a diminished quality of life because of your lack of concern, my office will remain vigilant in working with the city agencies to do all we can to inspect, enforce and compel your compliance with all rules and regulations,” Oddo said in a letter to Patel.

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The Staten Island Advance reported today that P.S.16 in Staten Island has a bed bug problem. They’ve had two treatments and the bed bugs persist. And it sounds like a fairly serious problem:

The creepy crawlies have been seen at PS 16 in the borough’s Tompkinsville community for several weeks now and exterminators have already visited the school twice, parents and education officials said.

“But this is still a continuous problem,” Ms. Guzman said. “I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is my child is putting her coat in her bookbag and the school had to get rid of puppets and lots of classroom supplies, even snacks.”

Nevertheless a New York City Department of Education official played it down:

Margie Feinberg, a DOE spokeswoman, said the Department was in the process of analyzing the specimens and that pest control went to the school yesterday.

“This is not a health issue but a nuisance issue,” Ms. Feinberg said. “Bed bugs do not carry disease. They are usually brought into the building on heavy clothing. We are looking into the matter.”

Though not yet known to spread infectious disease, bed bugs are nevertheless a health concern. The World Health Organization sure thinks so.

An even more immediate concern may be the costs of treating for bed bugs carried by so many, including parents whose kids may bring bed bugs home from school, or their landlords.

Back in January, Seth Donlin of the New York City Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development (HPD) told the Daily News,

“The Bronx had the second-lowest number of complaints last year,” said Seth Donlin of the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which keeps track of such calls to the city’s 311 hotline.

“It’s the lowest total after Staten Island, which is statistically insignificant,” Donlin said.

So Staten Island had the lowest number of complaints to 311 about bed bugs last year. It sounds like plenty of people in Staten Island are suffering now. One thing bed bugs do well is spread. Quickly.

Unless those bugs took the ferry in to school, or drove over the Verrazano Bridge, they may have come to P.S.16 with someone who lives in Staten Island. You can bet they’re probably going home with someone who lives in Staten Island.

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