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Effective education on bed bug management needed
Jacobson JB. MMWR. 2011;60:1269-1274.
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Between 2003 and 2010, more than 100 acute illnesses across seven states were associated with insecticides used to control bed bugs. CDC officials, therefore, suggest the need for effective education on bed bug management, according to recent findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“Inappropriate use of insecticides to control bed bugs can cause harm,” CDC officials wrote in the report. “Media campaigns to educate the public on nonchemical methods to control bed bugs, methods to prevent bed bug infestation and the prudent use of effective insecticides can reduce insecticide-related illness. Making insecticide labels easy to read and understand also might prevent illnesses associated with bed bug control.”
The researchers pooled data from the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks-Pesticides program and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and assessed the frequency of acute illnesses. They defined acute illness as “two or more acute adverse health effects resulting from exposure to an insecticide used for bed bug control.”
Overall, 111 cases were identified in California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington. Of these, 81% were of low severity, and one fatality occurred. Pyrethroids and pyrethrins were identified in 89% of cases, including the one fatality. Excessive application of insecticides, failure to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding and inadequate notification of pesticide application were the most common reasons for illness, according to the report.
“Although the number of acute illnesses from insecticides used to control bed bugs does not suggest a large public health burden, increases in bed bug populations that are resistant to commonly available insecticides might result in increased misuse of pesticides,” officials wrote in an accompanying editorial.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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