“They are a nasty nuisance [but] bed bugs do not transmit disease. They are not considered a health hazard.”
— Sharon Tropin, Director of Communications, Sunrise Health Region
Bed bugs have popped up to bite the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.
The annoying bugs started showing up in traps about 10-days ago, said Sharon Tropin, director of communications with the Sunrise Health Region.
“We’re on top of the situation. We expect it to be rectified in very short order,” she said.
It is believed they gained access on the belongings of a patient.
“Bed bugs work their way into many places; homes and businesses and hospitals are no exception unfortunately,” said Tropin. “… Bed bugs make their way into the cleanest places.”
Tropin said as a normal part of monitoring, traps for bed bugs are in place, and once they started to show the bugs were in a wing at the hospital, confirmed by staff sightings, action was taken.
The infestation, while being a small one with “very, very small numbers in the hospital” did necessitate bringing in a pest control service, said Tropin.
“Bed bugs are killed by high heat,” she said, adding the pest control company uses steam to eradicate the bugs.
“All the rooms in the wing were deep steam cleaned … No pesticides were used.”
The use of steam allowed for penetration into cracks and crevices, ideal hiding place for the bugs, said Tropin, adding those cracks and crevices were also filled in as part of the process of dealing with the bugs.
The steam also kills eggs and young bed bug nymph, she noted.
That work was carried out Thursday and Friday, but Tropin said another bed bug was found on the weekend, so the control company was called for additional control.
However, by Monday afternoon the pest control company called the hospital bug free.
“The pest control company has confirmed that the bug that was found in the trap on the weekend had been dead for a while and likely just blew onto the trap,” reported Tropin.
While noting “they are a nasty nuisance,” Tropin added bed bugs are not a health risk. She said the public needs to understand “bed bugs do not transmit disease. They are not considered a health hazard.”
Bed bugs are monitored by public health, continued Tropin, but there has not been a verified case of “infectious disease transmitted by bed bug bites.”
It is also unlikely, given the small numbers of bugs found at the hospital, staff or visitors would take one home, said Tropin.
Bed bugs do not fly, or jump, or generally hang onto people, but can transport in the creases of clothes, she added.
Until the infestation is dealt with no new admissions are being made to the affected wing.
That said, Tropin said people should not stay away from the hospital if they need are because of the bed bugs. The bugs are not a health risk, she reiterated, but staying away from needed health care can be,
For additional information on the pests and how to handle them should they be found in a home can be found at www.sunrisehealthregion.sk.ca
