A hospital is one of the most recent victims of a bedbug infestation that has hit a nursing home, assisted living care facility and an elementary school, among other facilities, in central Maine.

Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston temporarily closed part of a nursing medical-surgical unit more than a week ago after bedbugs were found in one room. The hospital moved patients out of the room and surrounding areas so that exterminators could treat the facility.

The area has not reopened, but a hospital spokesman says that is because the facility's current patient volume hasn't necessitated it. He also noted that while some media reports have claimed the infestation was found in a surgical unit, it was actually in a nursing medical-surgical unit and has "nothing to do with the surgical services department."

CMMC is not alone in dealing with bedbugs. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services says it has also received reports in the past month of bedbugs found at Montello Manor and Montello Commons, assisted living and nursing care facilities that are also located in Lewiston. St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston also tells reporters it has dealt with a "few isolated incidents" of bedbugs.

The problem isn't unique to Maine, either. Bedbug infestations are on the rise nationally. The tiny insects, which feed on human blood while people are sleeping, are most commonly found in hotels and people's homes, but have also made their way to retail stores, movie theaters and healthcare facilities. Infestations have nothing to do with cleanliness, and the bugs do not carry or spread diseases. However, they are very difficult and expensive to eradicate once they've established a presence.

The CMMC spokesman says the hospital has conducted in-services with staff to educate them about bedbugs, how they're transported, what to look out for and how to handle patients who may be transporting bed bugs in a discrete way. The Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention has fact sheets about bedbugs and pest management advice available on its website.

Irene Tsikitas

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