So far, bed bugs have not been proven to transmit diseases, they have no vectoring capacity, but they do have side effects after a bite. (Photo: web)
For some time, several families in Sancti Spiritus have been suffering from the invasion of so-called bed bugs, this insect that, although it does not transmit diseases, is characterized by annoying bites and is very difficult to eradicate indoors, where it gets over every space and it becomes too a hygiene problem.
This unwanted host is described as a brown, wingless bloodsucker that is usually active after sunset and peaks feeding about an hour before sunrise, although it may do so at other times of the day.
Bed bugs reach their “prey” by moving or even climbing up the walls of the room to the ceiling, and then dropping on someone when detected by the heat from their bodies.
According to experts, their bites usually go away without treatment within a week or two; However, they can cause allergic skin reactions in some people. Outbreaks of this insect have occurred in the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Australia, Canada, India, Israel and the United States, among others, since 1999.
They assure that in the baggage of a passenger on board a plane from Russia the same thing arrives that is hidden in the hem of school trousers. Given this repellent little animal’s long presence in the area, some are wondering if it poses a health problem or could lead to an epidemic.
How to fight this bug to get rid of it permanently? Is it necessary to burn the mattress and furniture to eradicate it? Escambray sought answers to these and other questions from Osvaldo Gómez Hernández, deputy director of vector surveillance and control at the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology.
How do you define and classify bed bugs?
It is a blood-sucking, hematophagous insect; that is, it needs animal blood or human blood to survive, warm blood. It is brown in color and the size of an apple seed. small but not microscopic, easy to spot. Its presence can be recognized not only by looking at the sample, but also by the lesions it causes on the skin.
What routes does this insect use to reach and settle in houses in Sancti Spiritus?
There are different ways to get there. The bug does not fly, it is transmitted by humans from one place where there is a source of infection to another. One way is to buy clothes from other countries without washing and disinfecting them first. Another option is to buy furniture that has eggs impregnated in the cotton wool, and these eggs hatch and reproduce through human heat.
Homeless people will also pick up a pillow or piece of furniture that has cobblestone bugs on it and put it away. Even if we get visitors from places where there is a source of infection and they carry them on their clothes, in a backpack. What is certain is that someone will bring her to our house.
Can they multiply anywhere in the house or do they prefer to stay on the mattresses of the beds?
That’s why they are also called bed bugs because we mainly find them where or on furniture where people park and therefore they can feed on them.
Many complain that before bedtime, when they lie in bed, they feel itchy. Does the itch attack only at night and nourish?
Of course, when the person is not there, he has no opportunity to eat, he takes advantage when people rest in bed or on upholstered furniture.
Do bed bugs transmit diseases or not?
So far they have not been proven to transmit diseases, they have no vectoring capacity, but they do have secondary effects after a bite. They affect the skin and although these bites usually go away within five to six days, some people – especially the elderly – have very sensitive skin and are more prone to complications from these injuries.
What procedure to follow if someone thinks they have this insect in their home? Where should he turn for help?
The first thing is not to despair and avoid panic because getting rid of bed bugs is difficult but not impossible. There are some home treatments that one can develop at home without having to resort to chemical treatments, that is, insecticides and pesticides, which are also harmful to health.
In the house you can use alcohol with 50 percent chlorine. We recommend applying it mainly in aerosol form. Also, cook clothes at high temperatures to kill adults and eggs. We recommend placing the furniture in the sun and not dropping the bedding on the floor while washing to avoid re-infection.
In addition, we recommend using fresh leaves such as mint leaves and cloves, which we often have on hand and which can be effective. Likewise, guava can be used in the rotten state mixed with water, it is used in the form of an aerosol to neutralize bed bugs.
If you suspect a bed bug infestation at home, how to seek the advice of specialists?
Visitors can visit the Provincial Directorate of Vector Surveillance and Control, located at 252 A Frank País Street, between Carretera Central and Brigadier Reeve, next to the Genetics Center.
You Do you recommend using oil to control these insects?
No, it is not recommended. Bed bugs are prone to strong odors and can also be found in heated rooms, as we don’t usually use temperatures so low that they could prevent their presence.
Are bed bugs a health concern for Sancti Spíritus today?
Despite the fact that we have an incidence mainly in vulnerable populations, today they do not pose a health problem and anyone who reads us can prevent the bed bug from further proliferation by carrying out these types of measures.
We must take permanent measures in our homes to prevent their intrusion by generally keeping them cavity-free, e.g. B. Preventing walls from chipping, washing clothes well and following hygiene measures. All this helps to avoid bed bugs. In addition, the preventive use of the previously mentioned home methods that are used prophylactically also prevents it from spreading in our homes.
