health


By Jewel Ware Wayne County Commissioner


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


Bed bugs: A challenge that we must meet


An unwanted visitor has


invaded senior complexes and other dwellings across the city of Detroit, the county of Wayne, the state of Michigan, and, indeed, across the coun- try and the world. These in- vaders, when unfed, measure ¼ to 3/8 inches long. They have wingless, flattened oval bodies that are brown to red- brown in coloration. When they have fed, their bodies are swollen and a dull red.


These creatures are called


bed bugs, and they live solely on the blood of warm-blooded animals such as ourselves. Bed bugs were once consid- ered a health hazard world- wide, but, as the 20th century progressed, of


the incidence infestations greatly de-


creased. Recently, however, as we


have entered the 21st century, the numbers of infestations have once again increased to a problematic level. While there are theories about why this has come about (such as increased tourism in which travelers can carry the pests about unwittingly), the fact is that they are here and must be dealt with. Bed bugs flourish in unsanitary areas, but they can also be found in clean, well-maintained homes, apart- ments, dormitories, shelters, and even cruise ships.


It is a blessing that bed


bugs are wingless. Neverthe- less, bed bugs can move rapid- ly over the surfaces of floors, walls and ceilings. They have long beaks that pierce the skin and inject an anesthetic that prevents the victim from feeling pain (or being aware of the bite) and an anticoagulant that keeps the blood flowing.


Bed bugs are gruesomely


efficient in their subsistence on humans. Individuals vary widely in their reaction to the bites. Some people have no reaction at all. Others develop


Jewel Ware


skin eruptions in the form of round welts by the bitten areas. The latter can cause great em- barrassment and social isola- tion (since friends and rela- tives are reluctant to interact with the infected person and risk becoming infected them- selves.) No one should have to live this way and undergo such daily attacks and misery.


People living in Detroit who


suspect that they have a bed bug infestation, should call the City of Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promo- tion (Communicable Disease) at (313) 876-4138 and/or the City of Detroit Senior Citizens Services (Consumer Affairs) at (313) 224-1000. People living in Wayne County, but not in the city of Detroit, should call the County of Wayne Public Health Department (Environ- mental Health) at (734) 727- 7400. If it is established that a bed bug infestation is indeed present, a series of treat- ments will follow and it may take many months to address the problem. Residents must conform to certain standards to prevent the problem from re-occurring or occurring.


For example, residents may


have to discard mattresses, bedding and other furni- ture that is infested with bed


June 16-22. 2010


Page C-4


bugs. Once this is done, other people must be warned away from the discarded materials (such as with warning labels), lest they be tempted to bring the materials into their own dwelling and begin their own problems. The public must also be educated in ways to help themselves if they have this problem.


Many people wish to spray


the pests with alcohol, for ex- ample. Since alcohol is flam- mable, they could be turning their dwellings into deadly fires waiting to happen. On the other hand, it has been shown that washing clothes and bedding at high tempera- tures will kill the bed bugs in them. Even this, however, only kills the bed bugs pres- ent in the material, but does not affect the new generations arising in other areas of the dwellings.


The problem of bed bugs


is a multifaceted one and de- mands a multifaceted solu- tion. Besides the previously- mentioned public education, our legislators must be en- couraged to pass laws that will ensure that both the manage- ment and residents of apart- ment complexes are united to cooperate to stop the in- festations. Funding must be allowed for a comprehensive treatment of the infestations (both in prevention and in solving the problems that al- ready exist) and in training and certifying local pest con- trol operators. Studies should be made of other venues that have put bed bug programs in place, such as Ohio, New York, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Canada.


While it is important to


serve the community with better law enforcement and services to prevent home fore- closures and utility shut-offs, we must also act to prevent this subtle form of attack that goes to the very core of a person’s security, safety, and self-esteem.


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