A summit to fight the epidemic of
Cimex lectularius convenes today in Washington DC as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a half dozen other federal agencies try to address the “consumer concern about the rising incidence of bed bugs in the United States.”
The 2011 National Bedbug Summit, to be held at Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center today and tomorrow, will have a panel of experts brainstorming to address issues such as gaps in prevention and control and the progress of State and local governments in reigning in the problem.
Bedbugs are tiny parasitic insects which feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals. Typical adverse health effects from bedbug bites include skin rashes, allergic reactions and psychological effects.
Bedbugs are not known to transmit infectious diseases to humans.
In the United States, the bedbug was essentially eradicated since the 1940s but found resurgence at the end of the century. Though pesticides have historically been effective against bedbugs, resistance to many pesticides have developed. In addition to pesticides, non-pesticide methods have been used such as vacuuming and heat treating.
For more information on the 2011 National Bedbug Summit
Robert Herriman
February 01, 2011