“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is often said humorously – and affectionately –to wish a person nothing more than a good night’s sleep, but with the reported resurgence of bed bugs, it may soon take on a more serious meaning.
Foreign news agencies have reported a rise in the numbers of the small, flat, reddish-brown parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, hailing it as the worst outbreak since World War II.
The resurgence in international travel, increased resistance to pesticides and a lack of knowledge regarding control due to a prolonged absence all contribute to this apparent increase in the number of bed bugs, according to a Health Ministry spokesman.
Despite reports of people encountering these bugs in foreign hotels and coming back with bites from abroad, the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit in Malta has not received any reports of bed bug infestations.
However, there is no legal requirement to report such infestations, the spokesman said, adding that Malta therefore does not have information concerning the incidence of these infestations, or whether the increasing trend has been seen in Malta.
Reports in British newspapers have reported concern that the UK might be facing a “pandemic”, as the number of properties invaded has reportedly shot up by around 24 per cent in the past year.
This follows a major epidemic in the United States, where it is reported that the incidence of these insects across the country has tripled since 2005, reaching the highest levels since the Second World War.
Bedbugs usually bite people while they are sleeping, on any skin that is exposed, and the bite may develop into an itchy red welt or localised swelling within a day or being bitten. In some people there is a delayed, or little, reaction.
The bites can result in secondary infections of the skin such as impetigo, ecthyma or lymphangitis and in very rare cases anaphylaxis can result. They can also cause anxiety or insomnia in those living in an infested home.
Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to humans, and their medical significance is chiefly limited to itching and inflammation from their bites.
These efficient ‘hitchhikers’ are found, for example, on luggage, clothing, beds and other items of furniture and because they are small, can escape detection by crawling into suitcases, boxes and other items.
With travel around the world increasing, it automatically becomes much easier for these bugs to move around, but as such there are no actual precautions a country can take to prevent them entering.
What the government departments and agencies can do, however, is work with the public health authorities to detect infestations early and learn how to control and eliminate them.
Foreign media reports of a “bedbug pandemic” are being alarmist without sufficient reason, according to the local spokesman, because although these little bugs are admittedly a nuisance and an inconvenience, they are rarely anything more.
It is important that there is an effective campaign to educate people on how to avoid bedbugs. Acquiring second-hand beds, couches or other items of furniture is one of the ways in which they can be transported, and these should therefore be checked thoroughly.
The bugs can also travel on a person’s clothing or shoes, and once they enter a building, they often spread quickly, crawling from room to room and floor to floor.
They can live in almost any crevice or sheltered location, and are commonly found in the seams, tufts and crevices of the mattress, bed frame and headboard.
It is important to emphasise that the presence of these bugs has nothing to do with cleanliness, the spokesman said. Vacuuming or steam drying, and sealing cracks and crevices where they could hide, can all help.
People can also use non-chemical pesticides and effective chemical pesticides, although careful use must be made of the latter. In most cases, it would be better to enlist the services of a professional pest controller.