Bedbug infestations in hospitals
Hospital-acquired infections remain a serious problem: in the United States alone, millions of patients pick up infections during hospital stays each year, and drug-resistant organisms such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and C. difficile are among the hardest to control.
Bedbugs add another complication. The blood-sucking pests have resurged in cities worldwide over the past decade, and hospitals are not immune — the insects can hitchhike in on patients' belongings and settle into mattresses, furniture and equipment.
One line of research has looked at automated ultraviolet-light disinfection systems that sanitize an entire room — beds, curtains, floors and air-handling vents — between patients. In early trials, researchers reported that rooms treated with such systems showed sharply reduced bacterial contamination compared with rooms cleaned by conventional methods alone. The systems are also being studied for their effect on bedbug populations in clinical settings.
Public-health experts caution that no single technology replaces thorough manual cleaning, hand hygiene and integrated pest management. The research is ongoing, and the long-term effectiveness of these systems is still being evaluated.
This article is general information only and is not medical advice.
Related Stories
NASA study pays $18K to lie in bed for 70 days
NASA's $18,000 bed-rest study at UTMB Galveston: 70 days in bed to understand how spaceflight changes the body — and how to counter it.
Still possible to catch measles at Disney Parks
In January 2015, five Disneyland workers contracted measles — including two who were vaccinated — as California's outbreak passed 53 confirmed cases.
A simple blood test may help detect autism in children
Researchers began a 660-child study of a blood test that may flag autism risk earlier — though experts caution it cannot diagnose the condition alone.