A bedbug infestation was discovered last week at the Liberty Nursing and Rehabilitation Home in Allentown. But by the week’s end, work to clean up the problem was scheduled to be finished, according to an article on McCall.com.
When the issue came to light, an exterminator was called in and residents and their families were notified of the situation. Every room in the nursing facility was inspected for bedbugs. If a mattress was found to be infested, the bedding was thrown out. Residents in affected rooms were temporarily moved until their room was treated and dried.
According to the article, online Department of Health records indicated that the last inspection was on Oct. 3 and the facility passed. But bedbug infestations are not reportable to the state. Nursing homes should have pest control policies in place and the state will check for effectiveness when they visit again.
The website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that bedbugs can travel on luggage, folded clothes, bedding, and furniture. They don’t carry disease, but they do bite. Signs of an infestation include bites on the face, neck, arms, as well as other body parts. The small bugs can be seen in the folds of mattresses and sheets. A sweet, musty odor, and rust-colored blood spots on mattresses or furniture can be a sign of bedbugs.