Rising Bedbug Infestations and Emerging Health Concerns

After World War II, widespread use of the pesticide DDT drove bedbug populations sharply downward. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT for most uses in 1972, but by then the pests had begun developing resistance. Entomologist Chow-Yang Lee of the University of California at Riverside notes that growing insecticide resistance has fueled a sustained resurgence in recent decades. Commercial pest-control firms rank Chicago as the city with the highest infestation calls, while Terminix cites Philadelphia as having the biggest problem, though these rankings rely on customer call volumes rather than systematic surveys.

The Independent

A 2020 French medical-journal case report described a 70-year-old man in a Paris suburb who collapsed with severe anemia; doctors found thousands of bedbugs feeding on his neck, head and shoulders. Historically, experts believed bedbugs could not transmit infectious diseases. However, a 2023 experiment by University of South Dakota researchers using artificial skin and blood capsules showed that bedbugs can acquire methicillin-resistant *Staphylococcus aureus* (MRSA) during one feeding and spread it during a later one. Study co-author Jose Pietri, now based at Purdue University, stresses that further research is needed to confirm real-world transmission.

The Independent

Prevention is emphasized by pest-management specialists. Travelers are advised to inspect hotel beds, keep luggage off floors, and launder clothing on high heat. Christopher Hayes, a North Carolina State University assistant professor who has been bitten more than 50 times in research, recommends vacuuming, steaming, or heat-treating secondhand items, and freezing non-washable goods for a week. For active infestations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides self-treatment instructions, but experts warn that many first-line insecticides face resistance. Licensed exterminators and methods such as silica dust or sustained dry heat (>=122 °F/50 °C) are considered most effective, though they can be costly.

The Independent

• “You can't just blast random chemicals and expect it's going to work because there's a fairly high likelihood that they'll be resistant to some of the first-line insecticides,” — Jose Pietri, now based at Purdue University

The Independent

• “I think the biggest piece of advice is just people shouldn't panic,” — Christopher Hayes, a North Carolina State University assistant professor

The Independent