Australia facing bedbug invasion - ABC News - By Cassie White

Infestations are common in backpacker-friendly suburbs but it is not just overseas travellers who are being attacked. (ABC News)

• RELATED STORY: New York in grip of bedbug hysteria
• RELATED STORY: New York bedbugs invade London

Australians are being warned there is no escape from the bedbugs which are currently staging a jet-setting comeback in hotels on both sides of the Atlantic.

After being all but wiped out by banned pesticide DDT years ago, the little brown bugs are reportedly increasing in numbers, generating some bad PR for tourist hotspots New York and London.

Bedbug cases in both cities are on the rise as the parasites hitch a lift in luggage, aircraft seats and clothes to wherever people sleep or rest.

Infestations are common in backpacker-friendly suburbs like Bondi and Coogee, but it is not just overseas travellers who are being attacked.

A bedbug infestation almost ruined Brisbane resident Cori's life after her flatmate brought them home from a three-star hotel in Cairns.

Three rounds of intense fumigation and thousands of dollars later, she says the bedbugs came back for a fourth time. The incident happened almost two years ago, but Cori says to this day they cannot bring themselves to talk about it.

"We fumigated the whole house and threw out anything we weren't attached to, plus fumigated our cars. At this point we were also getting changed in the garage downstairs before going inside," she said.

"It was a really expensive exercise that costs thousands of dollars each time. We were up to the $10,000 mark the third time around and they came back again.

"In the end they won. We put the remains of our stuff in storage for a year-and-a-half. That was everything; furniture, clothes, books - we just started again from scratch."

The ordeal lasted more than four months and almost sent Cori and her flatmate over the edge.

"Basically we thought we were going insane. We always thought we were itching, we couldn't hang out with people because no-one wanted us in their home, so we found ourselves homeless quite quickly," she said.

"It escalated into this really horrendous psychological nightmare.

"Everything we own that went through that process still smells horrendous today; our clothes and cars still smell like the fumigation."

Eventually the girls had to move out of their unit completely because there was just no escape from the critters.

But the horrific ordeal did not end there.

"I stayed at my boyfriend's place and ... I was stripping off at the door every day, putting on a towel and going straight to the shower," she said.

"I'd put the clothes I was wearing outside in a bag so the next time I left - often in his clothes - I'd take them to the laundromat and put them in 140 degree temperature water.

"I wasn't even able to work because I had no clothes or books, so I basically gave my teaching load to someone else.

"I'd often lie there at night and if I felt any itch at all I'd think 'Oh my god'. So I became a real hypochondriac thinking I'd brought them in and we'd have to do the same thing with my boyfriend's stuff."

These days bedbugs are found everywhere from backpacker hostels to five-star hotels, on public transport, and increasingly in homes.

Brisbane pest controller Roger Goode says bedbugs are extremely common in Australia and suspects they will become even more of a problem.

"We get an enquiry about them every two days. The main way they get around is in planes and other public transport in luggage and other cracks and crevices," he said.

"With the rate of the dollar and also the number of people coming in, I think there's a great opportunity for us to get an infestation on the same level [as other countries].

"They can live up to three months without a host. They like cracks and crevices in rooms, behind powerpoints, mattresses and mattress buttons are a good place to hide.

"They like to be in the dark, in the warmth and don't mind being claustrophobic at all."

Sydney pest controller Rita Kokontis agrees travellers are the main culprits responsible for bringing bedbugs to Australia, after they come from countries with a high infestation.

"In Sydney we'd probably do five bedbug jobs a week minimum and they're very difficult to shift. [They are mainly concentrated] in areas like Bondi and Coogee where there's a lot of travellers," she said.

"Usually one treatment won't be enough. A lot of the time the mattresses will need to be discarded and you still need more treatments.

"A lot of people are under the misconception that if you get rid of the mattress you get rid of the problem, but you can actually find the bedbugs on the frame and under the skirting boards, behind picture frames and in bedside tables."

But Ms Kokontis warns people not to think they out of harm's way if they do not do a lot of travelling.

"[They also infest] homes after people have had guests staying from overseas," she said.

"It's not necessarily unhygienic, it's just the exposure to them.

"When there's a lot of people sharing beds, like in a hotel, people are packing their bags and taking them with them. They then might put that bag on your floor and then they can infest your home."

Bedbugs at school: The new lice but worse - The Washington Post- By Valerie Strauss

Public schools are facing something of a plague, and, for once, I do not mean standardized tests. Rather, bedbugs.

Schools in a number of states have closed off classrooms -- or the entire building -- because of bedbugs this school year, and Michigan government officials issued a document telling schools how to handle any infestations, complete with a template of a parent notification letter (“Dear Parent or Guardian: We recently found a bed bug in your child’s classroom....”).

In New York City, the number of confirmed bedbug cases in the first five months of the school is on pace to triple last year’s total. City schools have so far reported 1,7000 cases this academic year, the city’s Department of Education reported.

Schools are accustomed to dealing with seasonal outbreaks of head lice; kids unfortunate to get a case go home and get rid of them with special shampoo and often time-consuming hair combing. (Bedsheets and other things in the house also have to be washed.)

Bedbugs are harder to eliminate; researchers say they are becoming resistant to pesticides (as are lice).

Infestations are relatively new (even if bedbugs themselves are prehistoric) and growing in the United States. The U.S. government just convened its second two-day National Bed Bug Summit in Washington D.C., where panels to discussed how to control these pests on a community-wide basis. Federal officials are working on a national strategy for bed bug control.

How do bedbugs get to school? By hopping onto kids' backpacks and clothes. And they don't just hide in beds, so they are hard to locate.

According to the Mayo Clinic, bedbugs are reddish brown, oval and flat, about the size of an apple seed. During the day, they hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards and bed frames but come out at night to feed -- on human blood; people wake up in the morning with evidence of bites on their face, neck, arms and hands. They can be extremely difficult to eradicate.

Bedbug bites often appear as small red bumps with a smaller red dot in the middle, usually arranged in a line or cluster, and often quite itchy. In most cases, bedbug bites do not cause any major medical concerns, unless a person has an allergic reaction to them.

While bedbugs feast at night and not while kids are learning math and history during the day, the concern of health officials is that they will find their way into more homes, creating new infestations.

As if schools don't have enough problems.

Health unit holds bed bug summit - THE INTELLIGENCER - By Luke Hendry

Local agencies are beginning a push for more education, not panic, about bedbugs.

The Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit is seeking a provincial grant to study the bugs' impact here and help other agencies deal with them.
And on Feb. 23, the public is invited to learn more about bedbugs at Bite Back, a forum on the topic.
It's being organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Community Advocacy and Legal Centre, All Together Affordable Housing and Total Pest Management.
"It's to provide some concrete information from people who've worked with it," said Sandie Sidsworth, the new executive director of the CMHA's Belleville office.
"People that do in-home support, especially for marginalized clients, need to have some of the myths removed," she said.
Those on the margins include people with mental health problems and low incomes who either can't afford or don't know how to get help with ridding their homes of bugs.
The session will help guests identify the insects and provide tips on working with clients and pest control workers.
"We're not trying to send panic through the masses," said Bob Pickard, co-owner of Total Pest Management and a co-presenter of the workshop.
"There definitely is a problem," said Pickard, adding he's been dealing with bedbugs for about the last six years.
He said there has been an increase in calls from curious residents and actual cases in the last three years and a further spike in about the last eight months.

Many callers "just need the reassurance" that they don't have bedbugs, he said.

He said there is no one group affected.
"It's every sector of society."
Sidsworth first encountered them three years ago while working as a community relations supervisor for Hastings County.
"Bedbugs aren't a poverty issue," she said. "It only becomes a poverty issue with people who can afford to treat it and those who can't.
"It's heartbreaking to deal with them (bedbugs)," Sidsworth said, recalling extreme cases in which people suffered pain and other health effects from an excess of bites.
She added the anxiety of the problem can cause anxiety — another reason for her agency's concern.
Some people don't report the problem out of fear or shame, partly because of a common belief the bugs are linked to poor living conditions.
Pickard said not reporting a problem is "the worst thing you can do."
Sidsworth said 57 people registered for Bite Back in the first day.
The health unit, meanwhile, is applying for provincial health ministry funding to study the issue and educate residents.
The application isn't scheduled to reach the counties' monthly health board agenda until April.
Eric Serwotka, the unit's environmental health director, said the program stems mainly from an increase in cases and concern in the Greater Toronto Area.
"It's not that we're any different than we were last year or the year before," Serwotka said. "Relative to other communities we have a much lesser problem."
This region could receive a maximum of about $70,000 in funding for one year — or no funding at all.
"Our focus will be on surveillance, capacity building and education," he said.
Pest control isn't part of the health unit's usual mandate.
Serwotka said the health unit will deal with the issue as much as funding allows. Should the province award more cash, staff will study the nature and scope of the problem. They may also work with other agencies to help those groups either deal with bedbugs or help prevent their spread.
"We haven't done any extensive surveillance," Serwotka said. That makes it difficult to gauge the extent of bedbug infestation locally, he said, but should funding be granted, "we'll try to get a sense of what's going on."
•
The Bite Back forum will be held between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at Christ Church Anglican, 39 Everett St. (just west of Coleman Street).
A $5 fee covers lunch and a CD of workshop information.
Call the CMHA at 613-969-8874 to register.

Bedbug War Continues; Scientists Study Bug Genome for Weaknesses -Researchers Say Some Bugs May Have Pesticide-Resistant Genes - By MIKAELA CONLEY, ABC News Medical Unit

As the war on bedbugs wears on, scientists try to understand the invasive pests so they can kill the suckers.
Now, Ohio State University researchers have conducted the first genetic study to identify pesticide-resistant genes the bugs carry. It may lead to new ways of controlling the bugs in the future.
"Right now, these studies are still preliminary and only scratching the surface of the bedbug genome," said Omprakash Mittapalli, Ph.D., assistant professor of entomology at Ohio Agricultural and Development Center and corresponding author of the study. "But bedbugs could be a lot more complicated than previously thought."
Mittapalli and his team analyzed laboratory-reared bedbugs vulnerable to insecticides, and compared them to pesticide-exposed bedbugs found in a local apartment in 2009 and 2010. Researchers identified more than 35,000 expressed sequence tags, tiny portions of a gene that can be used to help identify unknown genes and map their positions within the genome.

"The genetic bases for these genes could enable us to formulate newer development strategies that may be more effective than what we have right now," said Mittapalli. "But a lot more studies need to be done, not only to identify candidate genes, but also to get a better understanding of the biology of the insect."
The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, found that there were differences in a gene, known as CYP9, between the bedbugs exposed to pesticides and the non-exposed bedbugs.
In other words, scientists say bedbugs may be genetically resistant to the pesticides currently used to get rid of them.
"If we can suppress the expression of that gene and see if bedbugs are still able to overcome the pesticide, then we'll be able to see that that gene is involved in overcoming pesticide resistance," said Mittapalli.
Jim Fredericks, director of technical services at the National Pest Management Association, said that the preliminary genetic findings are an important step in the total bedbug extermination process.

"Bedbug research came to a standstill about 40 years ago when people thought that bedbugs were gone, so the basic biology in terms of today's standards has never been investigated," said Fredericks. "By looking at the genomics of the bug, we start to get a better picture of how these things work, especially in terms of pesticide resistance."
And in a press release, Mittapalli said that pinpointing such defense mechanisms and the associated genes could lead to the development of novel methods of control that are more effective.
Bedbugs are flightless, nocturnal parasitic insects that were first noticed in the United States in the early 1700s. They afflicted Americans until World War II, when the extensive use of DDT wiped out most of the pests.
But when DDT was banned, the bedbugs came marching back in. Over the past decade, almost every continent has recorded bedbug infestation, with an estimated 100 to 500 percent annual increase. The bedbug plague has forced people to spend billions of dollars on treatments. And the pests have been known to resurface in homes and buildings weeks or months after extermination.
Scientists say the banning of DDT is just part of the reason. They also cite greater foreign travel, more frequent exchange of second-hand furniture and clothing and the bugs' increasing resistance to pesticides.
While the bugs do not transmit disease, people allergic to bedbug bites can experience itching, burning or dermatitis. A bedbug infestation can also cause anxiety, insomnia or worsen an existing mental health condition.
For now, Fredericks said that bedbug infestations are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but the pest management can include fumigation, steaming and vacuuming infested areas, and a whole-room heat mechanism, in which the temperature in an infested room is raised above 120 degrees. That's lethal for the bugs and their eggs.

Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA, said that the overall risk of getting bedbugs is still small. And bedbug infestaton has nothing to do with social status.
"There is this social stigma incorrectly associated with bedbugs," said Henriksen. "Bedbugs will come into a clean environment just as easily as a dirty environment. And, while people should practice protective to avoid bedbugs, it's through no fault of their own if they get them."
While it's not the golden ticket, Henriksen said vigilance is key when trying to prevent bedbugs. She gave a few key recommendations to prevent bedbugs from living with you.
When trying on clothes in a store, be sure to inspect the clothes before putting them on, and place your purse and shopping bags on a hook, not the floor. Unfortunately for those who love a second-hand unique find, don't bring home furniture left curbside. If you do buy second-hand goods, make sure you know their origin.

When traveling, keep your suitcase off the floor, and when returning home, inspect and wash your clothes in hot water.
"It doesn't matter if it's a five-star resort, you have to be careful," said Henriksen.
And in the meantime, as we all try and prevent bedbugs from hitchhiking their way into our homes, scientists will continue to work to understand the inner workings of the insect.
"We're interested in effective and safe treatments that are approved by the EPA, along with continued research, basic biology and applied biology of bedbugs," said Fredericks. "In the meantime, vigilance is an important part of the process."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/scientist-study-genetic-makeup-bedbug/story?id=12659848&page=1

New online maps show where bed bugs lurk - BY TIFFANY CRAWFORD, VANCOUVER SUN

The Vancouver Sun web team has created a new online gallery of maps to show where bed bugs are located in Metro Vancouver according to the Bed Bug Registry.
Web users can visit vancouversun.comand click on the link with the headline that reads: "Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods most plagued by bed bugs." According to the Bed Bug Registry, a free, user-submitted database, the Downtown/West End region has the most reported cases of bed bugs.


The Vancouver Sun's maps show views of reported cases in each region using red dots to denote each case.


As of Jan. 18., Vancouver had 1,944 bed bug reports with the most recent reports in the areas of Howe, Seymour and Richards streets.
Minimal cases were reported in West Vancouver, Richmond and Ladner.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/online+maps+show+where+bugs+lurk/4130153/story.html#ixzz1BUStDebP

Province working on new plan to combat bed bugs - CTV WINNIPEG

http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110111/wpg_bedbug_campaign_110111/20110111/?hub=WinnipegHome

ctvwinnipeg.ca

Manitoba Housing officials say they're working on a new province-wide campaign to fight bed bugs, but they remain tightlipped on what that program might look like.

"We hope to be discussing that more in the public voice in the coming months," says Dave Funk, manager for Manitoba Housing's pest control. "But we are not in a position to talk about it."

The revelation follows a $5 million announcement in Ontario. That province unveiled a new bed bug strategy this week, aimed at educating people on how to spot bed bugs and get rid of them.

"I think those of us who've been involved know that this is a very devastating change of life issue for many people," says Ontario MPP Mike Colle.

That is a sentiment echoed here in Manitoba.

Winnipeg resident Rod Domin has been fighting bed bugs for years. He is often forced to clear his possesions away from his apartment walls to allow fumigators to work.

"It's like doing a spring cleaning every month and a half or two months," says Domin. "It's difficult and exhausting."

He says Manitoba's government should be quick to follow Ontario's lead.

"I think what they're doing is inadequate and if it's inadequate, technically, they are wasting taxpayer dollars."

Officials with the provincial government say details on their new program will be released in the coming months.

-with a report from CTV's Jillian Taylor

Ontario declares $5 million war on bedbugs By:Rob Ferguson - Queen’s Park Bureau

Ontario is pouring $5 million into the fight against bedbugs in a new push to curb infestations that have been on the rise for years, the Star has learned.

The province’s 36 local health units can apply for a share of the funding, which will also support a public education campaign and a website coming soon at www.bedbugsinfo.ca.

The program, to be announced Monday, will teach people “how they can recognize bedbugs and what actions they can take” in a battle that will also take on the myths about fighting the pests, a government source said.

“The best tool to fight bedbugs is education, so we want to arm Ontarians with reliable information,” the source added, crediting Liberal MPP Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence) for doggedly pushing the issue at the Legislature.

“We also know that our public health units are on the front lines of this battle and this funding is going to better equip them to target their efforts to the communities that need help most,” the source said.

Star columnist Joe Fiorito has also led a crusade against bedbugs, calling for a “universal standard of treatment” by pest control companies, saying some people have been sprayed dozens of times with little or no impact on the problem.

The pests, which are the size of an apple seed and a reddish-brown colour, can leave bites that get infected and itchy, turning home life into a nightmare until they are eliminated. The bugs can survive for 18 months without eating.

Under the government plan, health units would use the cash to support local bedbug programs, boost awareness and assist the vulnerable.

There will also be a “pest management” guidebook for landlords and others teaching them how to identify infestations, conduct thorough inspections and prepare rooms for treatments to get rid of the pesky creatures. (Those with infestations are recommended to hire pest control firms because over-the-counter sprays can be ineffective.)

“Bedbugs can happen to anyone, anywhere,” warn the new public education materials. “We find it hard to imagine where we might have picked up bedbugs. Yet situations such as a trip abroad, riding public transit, having a houseguest or purchasing a piece of second-hand furniture can offer bed bugs a free ride into your home or apartment.”

Reported infestations in Toronto have risen steadily from 43 in 2003 to more than 1,500 last year, the city’s public health unit says.

In September, Colle organized a “bedbug summit” at Queen’s Park and proposed a private member’s bill requiring landlords to disclose bedbug infestations to new tenants. He later withdrew the proposed bill, saying a more comprehensive plan was needed.

He called for a province-wide campaign to control infestations, an expert panel to determine the safest and most effective methods to kill bedbugs and a system to track infestations by public health units.

“I’ve had a 90-year-old constituent of mine that was crying because she got rid of all her furniture, had the place fumigated, bought new furniture, brought it in and they came back again,” Colle told the Star last June.

“So it not only affects your health, it really affects your whole state of mind.”

Among the tips on the government’s new website:

•  Adult bedbugs, which commonly live in beds but are also found in furniture, clothing or cracks in the walls and floors, are easily spotted.

•  They can migrate through cracks and vents from flat to flat in apartment buildings or condos, making building-wide control efforts important.

•  Home remedies like over-the-counter bug sprays, rubbing alcohol and kerosene are ineffective and can be fire hazards.

•  To avoid bringing bedbugs home after travelling, make efforts in advance to see if your hotel has a bed bug problem, perhaps through an online registry.

•  Inspect your hotel room before unpacking. Leave luggage outside or in the bathroom and check the sheets and mattress, running your fingers along the seams and looking under the mattress tag — a popular hiding spot.

•  If you find bedbugs, request another room and inspect it.

•  Vacuum your luggage and other bags if you have been in a room with bedbugs. Then wash clothes and linens in the hottest water possible and dry on the highest heat setting for an hour.