Bedbug insecticides linked to poisonings
5 October 2011
Americans battling the rising scourge of bedbugs can end up poisoned by insecticide, a study finds.
Reports from public health officers in 7 US states between 2003 and 2010 showed there were 111 cases of bedbug-related poisoning.
Most cases were not severe and were triggered by excessive use of pesticides, failure to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding, or inadequate notification that pesticide had been applied, officers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said (MMWR Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report 2011; 60: 1269-74).
However, a 65-year-old woman with other illnesses died after applying a bedbug insecticide "to her arms, sores on her chest, and on her hair before covering it with a plastic cap".
Last Reviewed: 07 October 2011
- 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Acute illnesses associated with insecticides used to control bed bugs - seven States, 2003-2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2011; 60: 1269-74. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6037a1.htm (accessed Oct 2011).
