Creepy Crawlers: Bedbugs Found Carrying ‘Superbug’ Germs
- Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:34pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
ATLANTA (AP) — Hate insects? Afraid of germs? Researchers are reporting an alarming combination: bedbugs carrying “superbug” germs.
Canadian scientists detected drug-resistant MRSA bacteria in bedbugs from three hospital patients from a downtrodden Vancouver neighborhood.
Bedbugs have not been known to spread disease, and there’s no clear evidence that the five bedbugs found on the patients or their belongings had spread MRSA or a second less dangerous drug-resistant germ.
However, bedbugs can cause itching that can lead to excessive scratching. That can cause breaks in the skin that make people more susceptible to these bacteria, noted Dr. Marc Romney, one of the study’s authors.
The study is small and very preliminary, “But it’s an intriguing finding” that needs to be further researched, said Romney, medical microbiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.
The hospital is the closest one to the poor Downtown Eastside neighborhood near the city’s waterfront. Romney said he and his colleagues did the research after seeing a simultaneous boom in bedbugs and MRSA cases from the neighborhood.
Five bedbugs were crushed and analyzed. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was found on three bugs. MRSA is resistant to several types of common antibiotics and can become deadly if it gets through the skin and into the bloodstream.
Two bugs had VRE, or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus Faecium, a less dangerous form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Both germs are often seen in hospitals, and experts have been far more worried about nurses and other health-care workers spreading the bacteria than insects.
It’s not clear if the bacteria originated with the bedbugs or if the bugs picked it up from already infected people, Romney added.
The study was released Wednesday by Emerging Infectious Diseases, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 678 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 529 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 420 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 373 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 329 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 271 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 280 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 160 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 271 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (90)
stix_n_stones
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:02pmare they probiotic resistant?
Report Post »scoter
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:50pmObama Can’t Keep His Osama Stories Or_
Report Post »Any Anything Else — Straight
loveoursoldiers
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:45pmewwwww
Report Post »more reasons to stay home
retriever
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:44pmClose the borders!!
Report Post »SanMoo
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:29pmMy grand parents and great grand parents explained to me what bed bugs were. They would freaked out when people from “the old country” – (Europe) moved into town in the early 1900′s. Bed bugs were one of the things they looked for as well as certain diseases. Legal immigration used to include a health check. Probably does not today. I also think that a “Guest Worker” program is asking for more diseases that you would ever imagine. A few years ago: There was a small child in New York who became deathly ill…..the doctors were running all kind of tests and could not figure what was shutting his system down. Then they found out the Nanny had just returned from South America where she had gone to visit relatives…….they tested dirt under her finger nails and found a really deadly bacteria that we Americans have not developed a resistance to. They were able to save the child’s life. This is not funny folks–Open Borders is absolutely “Crazy” as well as possibly “Deadly”!
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:29pmPlague anyone?
Report Post »siebegorman
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:19pmWe need to be mindful of the bedbugs rights, if we can’t drill for oil because we may disturb a lizzards habitat, then it stands to reason we can’t go to bed because we may harm the bedbugs habitat. Am I missing something?
Report Post »Freedom1984
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:11pmPerhaps we could get the lizzards to the places where the bedbugs are…and teach the lizards to EAT THEM! Then we could drill for oil.
The lizzards would be full
and the bed bugs used not cruely…but as for a food source.
Problem Solved on all levels!!!!!!!! LOL
Report Post »siebegorman
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 4:31pmFreedom1984, a perfect 10.
Report Post »Rob
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:17pmBring back DDT.
Report Post »Mike Westfall No Hiding
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:13pmBring back DDT and these little critters are dead. Bill Clinton signed this into law during his term in office. Also, thousands die each year in Africa because it cannot be used to exterminate mosquitos. I’m OK with no crop spraying but bedbugs were virtually non-existent before the DDT ban. Another piece of prosperity gone until some common sense returns.
Report Post »dukestreet
Posted on May 12, 2011 at 11:51pmUnfortunately, just as the bacteria have developed immunity to antibiotics,it appears that DDT would not be as effective as it was since the bed bugs have developed immunity to it. The most common modern methods are chemicals-which don’t work;high,constant heat over at least 8 hrs and sudden cold as in spraying dry ice. The one method they are working on now is making all the bugs smell like adolescents. This will stop the breeding in it’s tracks as the young have a pheromone which tells the adult males not to attempt to mate with them. If they can isolate the pheromone that will end the cycle.
Report Post »BiteMePETA
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:07pmnonsense…. there is no real evidence of a “superbug”…. it’s just superstition based on false premises…
Report Post »solos
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 6:36pmhope this is remark is tongue in cheek ‘there is no real evidence of a “superbug”…. ” Father died a terrible death of this hospital infection. All his skin peeled off, from super IV antibiotics,perhaps, very painful,incurable & death -No joking matter when it happens to you or a love one
Report Post »usnpops
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 8:20pmActually there is, or my doctor would not have given me a really potent antibiotic for a simple skin lesion that suddenly appeared a few weeks ago. He was scared to death it was MSRA. And I was back on a daily basis till the Lab Results were in and it wasn’t MRSA.
Apaprently it is a problem. And here in Washington, we get a lot of Canadians that would rather come here and pay for treatment than wait in the long lines in Canada.
Report Post »trooper
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:06pmIt is really funny that the picture showed the vile bug on white skin.
Report Post »trooper
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:04pmI would stay away from the drug type motels that allow primates to “party” and the ones they be at!
Report Post »laoeal
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:03pmI don’t know if people realize how comon MRSA is. As a nurse, I can tell you that we expect that most healthcare workers carry it without knowing it. You have just as good a chance of getting it in a hospital setting as you do going through the store next to other people. For most people, you can carry it without having any ill affects (you don’t get sick).
It drives me crazy when places report things like this but leave out facts like above.
Report Post »chardeaux
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:03pmWhen I was kid, nobody ever heard of, or saw, ticks. For the past 25 years, ticks have been the bug of choice. The only time I ever heard of bedbugs was when somebody would say “sleep tight, and don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Yet nobody ever expected to see one. I do think it’s the DDT ban.
Report Post »raderby
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:03pmvancouver down trodden area is a major herion injector site. MRSA is in a lot of hospitals, since the bacteria gain resistance since they live there, in a world of constant anti-bacterials. Burn old hospitals down, and go to MASH units. That’s a way to reform healthcare……
Report Post »IMPEACHBHO
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:59pmbed bug bed bugs…whatcha gonna do?…whatcha gonna do when they crawl on you?
bugs….the male and females of crawl enforcement.
Report Post »WebDumpGarbage
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:56pmBorders, licentiousness, corruption, abortion, gay pride…anything else I missed? Is it any wonder why such things are happening?
Report Post »im4truth
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:55pmDey sure is ugly!
Report Post »I get itchy just thinking about ‘em.
caprica
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:53pmbecuse boarders are open…..illigals from south of the boarder walking in with horrible sicknesses….they eat rats,,cacroches …no wonder ! as long as the criminal freeloaders will keep our boarder open we will be expose to all kinds of sickenesses from south american and china and india and the rest of the3rd world dirt and sicknesses……vote all of the corruption out in 2012….the whole Washington DC is a collection of one big corruption ! thieves and liars = criminals ! they all should be in jail for destorying USA
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:08pmAnd I just heard on El-Rushbo today that the Obama Administration is trying to start back up, the sub-prime lending, again.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:52pmThis is what happens when we insist on importing the THIRD WORLD into America and all that goes with it: poverty, illiteracy, low skill levels, pestilence and negative cultural mores such as violence, crime and corruption. And the President along with his Democrat cohorts see none of this as a problem for the country. What they see is a five letter word…… V O T E S !
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:21pmWho do you think built this country? Immigrants is who, you idiot.
Report Post »jsDway
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:31pmRight on!! Preach it – I agree totally!!
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 6:42pmYes, immigrants– who came through Ellis Island or other immigration control centers, and who had to pass a few hurdles of health and fitness to gain lawful entry. You do know a lot of hopefuls were shipped right back, right? There’s a wee bit of a distinction that can be made between the welcomed, lawful immigrant and the criminal ******* — about the same distinction between me going in to the bank and drawing a hundred dollars out and Jesse James going in and helping himself.
Speaking of helping yourself, maybe a little self-study night school will help your opti-rectal inversion.
Report Post »im4truth
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:52pmYeesh!
Report Post »jmbogstad
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:50pmCan it be spread by reneks?
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhDPHb2RXI4
Khedewia
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:50pmEw!
Report Post »bruce_baker
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:48pmTheGreyPiper said:
1) EPA/DDT ban
2) Uncontrolled borders.
Those are the exact causes of the bedbug plague. The larger problem (MERSA) is caused by overuse of anti-biotics. It will be the end of humanity if some readily contagious disease like cholera ever develops into a drug resistant strain.
Report Post »beckwill
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:00pmWhy, aren’t those people coming across the unsecured border immunized against diseases such as Tb and the like? Certainly our government wouldn‘t want to put it’s own public at risk of contracting a disease for the sake of a vote now would it?
Report Post »Ashley
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:08pmDDT prevented such diseases as malaria by killing disease causing mosquitos. Those so-called nets promoted by the environomentalists and others to prevent disease is not nearly as effective and needless suffering is caused by people bitten by malaria carrying mosquitos.
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:26pmYou are exactly right – the over use of antibiotics for years especially with infants and small kids is the primary cause for drugs resistant staph – but as to whether bed bugs can transmit this disease to individuals has not been proven. http://wp.me/pYLB7-Xr
Report Post »TheGreyPiper
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:36pm1) EPA/DDT ban
Report Post »b) Uncontrolled borders.
_waTson_
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:40pmMY GOD do i EVEN WANT to read this.
MidWestMom
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:43pmYikes!
Report Post »Doodidle
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:51pmThis is why I dont stay in hotels!
Report Post »Timbotim
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:55pmCanadian scientists detected drug-resistant MRSA bacteria in bedbugs from three hospital patients from a downtrodden Vancouver neighborhood.
I think it’s just HORRIBLE how they are discriminating against impoverished bedbugs? Who CARES what neighborhood these bugs are from? They need medical HELP. BEDBUGS HAVE RIGHTS TOO, YA KNOW! (Just ask the Obamaniacs)
Report Post »sbeejustsaying
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:57pmNot just uncontroled borders but people coming in and out the country leagally also.
Report Post »TexasCommonSense
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 1:59pmDowntrodden Vancouver neighborhood? I thought Canada was a socialist Utopia. Listening to some defend their healthcare system, you would think that would be the case.
Report Post »Ashley
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:06pmTotally agree, if DDT had not been banned, we would have fewer diseases, such as this “superbug” and maleria from mosquitos.
Report Post »Susan Harkins
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:18pmBlood-sucking ‘bugs’….blood-sucking ‘liberals’…
close enough to be article-worthy, here, i see.
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:23pmI visited Vancouver a couple of years ago and stayed in a hotel by the waterfront. Hung out in the city for a few days. Nice restaurants but I have never seen so many young, white, begging, drugged out homeless people in my life.
Yeah, we should strive to be just like Canada.
Report Post »Obama Bin Lying
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:29pmI can only wonder how long it will be for the Birthers/Truthers/Need Meds crew decide that this is a Government conspirocy.
Report Post »southernsense
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 2:38pmYou are 100% right and the ddt ban was bs there was zero conclusive findings on DDT.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:03pm@TheGreyPiper
Report Post »I couldn’t agree more.
Professional Infidel
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:10pmwho renst a hotel?? I use the front seat of my car. Pryrinate A200 soaked seat covers. NO PROBLEM
Report Post »SimpleTruths
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:19pm1. DDT is more likely to kill you than the bedbug
Report Post »2. We should control the border from bugs (many who fly) crossing? And we do that how?
jsDway
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:26pmI agree – bring back DDT! The insects need to be KILLED along with the mosquito! Bring back the old fogger trucks that would spray our towns in the summer to get rid of mosquitoes, you can‘t tell me that they don’t carry disease – my goodness they suck our blood and go on to the next person!
Report Post »Dustyluv
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:47pm@simpletruths…You know nothing! More people die from no DDT
Report Post »Secret Squirrel
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 3:49pm.
Thanks, illegals.
Why do you think we had Ellis Island?
Report Post »chiefparker
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 5:09pmShouldn’t I be getting the new PHONE ALERT for this?
Report Post »RN MOM
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 9:44pmWhere’s PETA? They should be picketing the lab that mercilessly crushed these bed bugs!!
Report Post »ecurbyy
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 9:55pmWhat, no helpful hints about how to get rid of these little buggers? I’m thinking every bed has bed bugs. Up until now they were of no real consequence. Now they are killers? I personally don‘t think I’ll lose any sleep tonight due to this scary story. Now global warming is no big deal. It’s those damn bed bugs we need to be worried about! wtf?
Report Post »DarKangelAZRAEL
Posted on May 12, 2011 at 12:44pmGood one. You said it all and in a curt but strong way.
Report Post »ThomasBallantyne
Posted on May 12, 2011 at 3:46pmNot surprising… Not at all. If you don’t want the bed bugs to bite then get your bug repellent out. Tested it myself… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsIrxtsSo4w
Not too excited to have any more of these bed bugs biting me.
Report Post »