The Non-Infectious Disease Implications of Bed Bug Infestations

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of bed bug infestations throughout Ohio, whether the non-infectious disease implications of infestations are public health concerns, and also determine the perceived ability of public health departments to respond to outbreaks within their jurisdiction. A descriptive study was performed using survey data obtained from 79 local public health departments throughout Ohio. Overall, 79.05% of individuals surveyed agreed that bed bug outbreaks are a public health concern. The mode of responses regarding whether or not the non-infectious disease concerns of infestations are a public health concern was 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, indicating that they agree that the non-infectious disease concerns are a public health issue. However, only 24.05% of health departments reported that their department was capable of managing bed bug complaints. Respondents indicated a general consensus that bed bugs and their non-infectious disease considerations are a public health concern, but sufficient resources are not available to curtail the problem. Consequently, this study suggests further emphasis be placed on the non-infectious disease ramifications of bed bug infestations as well as the continued use of Integrated Pest Management strategies to address the bed bug issue.