The Bed Bugs Bite - Rash of Claims Feared

 

By (bug-free) Roderick Eime

A recent compensation payout by a London hotel could lead to a rash (pun intended) of similar claims.

Kent (UK) sisters Melanie Carmen and Joy McDonagh, both in their 40s, travelled to London and stayed at the £90/night Airways Hotel in Pimlico, South West London. During the night the women were bitten dozens of times each and required hospital treatment for their painful swellings.

After contacting solicitors, they received over £1,600 in compensation based on pain and suffering.

While the women blamed the conditions of the hotel, bed bugs are easily transportable in clothing and baggage and every hotel runs the risk of an infestation. They can hide easily, go months without feeding, resist treatment and travel easily from room to room or common areas. They hide during the day and feed at night, making them all the more insidious.

While the bug bites themselves are not known to be poisonous or disease-carrying, the bites are unsightly and very irritating – to say nothing about what they can do for the guest experience.

"It's very unfortunate what happened to these two ladies, but we have no way of being able to trace exactly where these infestations came from," a hotel spokesman said. "'This incident happened 18 months ago and experts say there are 20,000 cases of bedbugs in hotels across the UK every year, five-star hotels included, so we're not immune to the problem. We have a full-time contract with a pest control company and when problems are reported they come in immediately to deal with any issues."

The SA Department of Health advises:

Bed bugs can often be difficult to eradicate because their hiding spots are hard to find or inaccessible.

Repeat application of a treatment product may be necessary, depending on the chemical used and the success of the original application.

Thoroughly vacuum the infested area including the mattress and place the contents of the vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed plastic bag for disposal.

Clothes and bedding suspected of being infested should be washed in hot water (at least 60oC) and/or heated ironing or drying.

Hotels should educate housekeeping staff in the identification of possible bed bug infestations. Clues such as blood spots on linen, dead insects or droppings should ring alarm bells and prompt action should be initiated.