5/10/2011 Thailand Denies Bedbug Spray Killed Sarah Carter: Despite 60 Minutes Report Chlorpyrifos Found In Hotel Room

Thai experts have dismissed allegations a toxic insecticide caused the sudden death of 23-year-old New Zealand tourist after she fell ill in her Chiang Mai hotel, the Bangkok Post reports.

Sarah Carter, 23, became violently sick on February 3 while staying at the Downtown Inn in Chiang Mai and died a day later.

Her two friends and travelling companions, Emma Langlands and Amanda Eliason, also fell ill but later recovered.

An investigation aired by TV3′s 60 Minutes showed trace elements of the chemical chlorpyrifos, used to kill bed bugs, were found in the hotel room Ms Carter was staying in.

United Nations scientist Ron McDowall, who carried out tests on behalf of TV3, said the symptoms suffered by Ms Carter and the other tourists who died suggested they were killed by over exposure to the chemical.

But Chiang Mai Public Health Office deputy chief Surasing Visaruthrat told the Bangkok Post the investigation’s conclusion “carries little weight”.

Thorough checks conducted by the doctors when the three tourists were admitted to the hospital found no traces of insecticides and an autopsy found no toxic substances in Ms Carter’s body, he said.

“We can’t jump to a conclusion that toxin exposure was the cause of the death because the substance was allegedly found in the hotel room alone, not in the victim’s body.”

Dr Surasing yesterday chaired a meeting of the investigation team. The meeting, attended by doctors and experts from various agencies, ended with no conclusion on the deaths.

Test results of samples collected from the victims’ bodies were sent back from laboratories in the United States and Japan, the Bangkok Post reported.

Sarah Carter’s father, Richard, said TV3 had presented a strong case chlorpyrifos had caused his daughter’s death.

The 60 Minutes investigation showed teams of Thai workers intensely cleaning rooms on the fifth floor of hotel, where Ms Carter and her friends became ill.

Mr Carter believed this was an attempt by the Thai authorities to get rid of evidence on her death in order to minimise damage to the country’s lucrative tourism industry.

Green Party toxics spokesperson Catherine Delahunty yesterday called for Government to consider banning chlorpyrifos in New Zealand.

A kiwifruit worker was hospitalised in 2008 after being accidentally sprayed with Lorsban, in which the active ingredient is chlorpyrifos, she said.

“It is very worrying that this highly toxic chemical is still being used in New Zealand.

“Now it has been implicated in the deaths of tourists in Thailand, we must look more closely at its use here in New Zealand. Other countries have banned its use, particularly in homes and gardens.

“If it is dangerous in our homes, it’s also dangerous to use in growing our food, and in the workplace.”

Environmental Risk Management Authority guidelines show chlorpyrifos is acutely toxic to humans, very toxic in aquatic environments and toxic in soils.

Ms Delahunty said keeping it in use in New Zealand compromised the country’s “clean, green” brand.

“Our livelihoods depend on our clean, green brand. We cannot afford to sacrifice our environment and our people for the sake of saving a few bucks by using an acutely toxic insecticide.”

Continue Reading More: Thailand Denies Bedbug Spray Killed Sarah Carter

5/8/2011 Bedbug Spray Linked To Thailand Tourist Death: May Have Had Reaction To Overdose Of Insecticide

TOURIST Sarah Carter may have died mysteriously in Chiang Mai earlier this year from reaction to an overdose of insecticide, a New Zealand television show speculated tonight.

The ‘Sixty Minutes’ program took samples from a Chiang Mai hotel room for testing and found traces of an insecticide, chlorpyrifos, which is banned from domestic use in some countries.

A Phuketwan reporter visited the Laleena guesthouse on Phi Phi soon after the deaths while samples of household chemicals were being taken for testing, but no cause of the fatalities was ever established.

Sarah Carter’s death was one of seven in Chiang Mai over a period of several weeks earlier this year. The deaths have yet to be adequately explained by local authorities, who believe they were coincidental.

According to New Zealand reports, the ‘Sixty Minutes’ program has produced ”credible evidence” that Sarah Carter died due to insecticide poisoning.

Chemical samples were taken from the bedroom that 23-year-old Ms Carter stayed in at the Downtown Inn, at a time when the entire fifth floor was being pulled apart and cleaned.

Before leaving for Chiang Mai, ‘Sixty Minutes’ spoke to a New Zealand scientist who suspected insecticide poisoning.

”I think she’s been killed by an overzealous sprayer who has been acting on the instructions of the hotel owner to deal with the bed bugs,” chemical expert Dr Ron McDowall, who works for the United Nations cleaning up toxic rubbish dumps, was quoted as saying on the site 3news.co.nz.

He said the traces brought brought back were small, but the fact that the chemical was found three months later, in a room that had been scrubbed, points to chlorpyrifos poisoning.

Among other theories is one that goes that the heavy use of chemicals on foodstuffs grown around Chiang Mai may have left residues in a meal eaten by Ms Carter and her two friends, who also fell ill but survived.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Spray Linked To Thailand Tourist Death

11/22/10 NYC To Purchase BedBug Sniffing Dogs: City Is Looking For 2 Male Trained Dogs To Sniff Out Bedbugs And Their Eggs

Now hiring: two city inspectors capable of smelling bedbugs. Must walk on four legs.

New York City is moving forward with a plan to purchase bedbug-sniffing dogs for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. According to a request for information issued Monday, the city is looking for two male dogs trained to sniff out live bedbugs and their eggs.

Most of the funding for the dogs will come from the departments existing enforcement budget, according to an HPD spokesman. The dogs will be deployed citywide and “used to compliment and enhance our existing code enforcement activities,” the spokesman explained.

The city is looking to train up to six dog handlers as part of the initiative. The dogs will be certified by either the National Entomology Scent Detection Association or a similar group.

As The Journal reported in August, there are two major companies that dominate the market for bedbug-sniffing dogs in the U.S., and each one is affiliated with a different certification organization. A trained bedbug-sniffing dog costs about $10,000. Most of the dogs come from rescue shelters.

Pepe Peruyero, the owner of J&K Canine Academy in High Springs, Fla., has about 65 dogs working in the New York metropolitan area. His dog-training company is now affiliated with New York outfit called Bed Bug Super Dogs. Bill Whitstine owns Florida Canine Academy in Safety Harbor, Peruyero’s major rival. Each company is tied to a different certification regime.

Training and certification of bedbug-sniffing dogs has become a hot-button issue within the industry. The National Pest Management Association hopes to release official training protocols for bedbug-sniffing dogs next year.

Jim Skinner, president of NESDCA, said that he has not been contacted by the city. He emphasized that proper training and a strong relationship between handler and dog are essential for successful bedbug detection. If the city is only looking for trained dogs without qualified handlers, Skinner warned that government officials are “going down the wrong road.”

“It’s not about purchasing a canine, it’s about the training that you continue to do on a regular basis. It’s not just, ‘Hey, I got a dog that sniffs out bedbugs’ and you just give them to anybody,” Skinner said. “It’s how that person works with the canine and the relationship they have as a team.”

Continue Reading More: NYC To Purchase BedBug Sniffing Dogs

11/21/10 Bedbugs Take A Bite Out Of Paris: French Exterminators Say Phones Ringing Off The Hook With Complaints

Bedbugs – the pesky blood-sucking insects wreaking havoc with New York’s global image since 2009 – have arrived in the French capital.

After having infested New York City landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Carnegie Hall and even UN headquarters, bedbugs are becoming increasingly common in the City of Light, French fumigators say.

Known in French as “punaises de lit,” bedbugs were thought to have more or less disappeared in the 1950s. But they seem to have taken advantage of the ban on certain insecticides, such as DDT, and the international travel boom to make their reappearance.

The tenacious critters, brown and barely 5mm long, often hitch rides in suitcases and then take up residence in mattresses, box-springs, bed linen and clothing. They tend to attack at night, leaving itchy, uniform bites.

One fumigator told France Info radio that his phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from bedbug victims “in tiny, unhygenic apartments but also from amazing lofts in beautiful neighbourhoods”. Monsieur Marcel pointed out that “bedbugs affect everybody. I’d say that Paris, and even France, is under invasion.”

Maybe not yet, but Smash (Municipal Service of Health and Hygiene) has already responded to 600 bed bug calls this year. The City Council has downplayed trhe bedbug threat. But a technician who answered the phone at one local council told France Info they were “doing nothing but” dealing with the little pests.

Continue Reading More: Bedbugs Take A Bite Out Of Paris

11/17/10 NYC: New Mattress Disposal Rules Aimed At Curbing Bedbugs: Dept Of Sanitation Will Now Require Mattresses On Streets To Be Sealed In Plastic Bags

The city is looking to kick bed bugs to the curb.

Starting December 3, the Department of Sanitation will require city residents to fully seal any mattresses or box springs in plastic bags before leaving them out for curbside pickup.

Failure to do so can result in a $100 fine.

Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty says this will help safeguard workers and stop the spread of bed bugs throughout the city.

The sanitation department will delay enforcing the rule for 30 days until January 3, when full enforcement will begin.

For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/sanitation.

Continue Reading More: NYC: New Mattress Disposal Rules Aimed At Curbing Bedbugs

11/8/10 New York City Declares Full War On Bedbugs: Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer Calls For The Eradication Of Bedbugs

11/4/10 Michigan Family Sues Waldorf Astoria Over Bedbugs: Family says bedbugs carried to Michigan in luggage  * Waldorf says room tested negative for the pests

NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) – A Michigan woman filed suit against New York’s Waldorf-Astoria on Thursday, saying she and her husband became infected with bedbugs during a stay at the famed hotel.

Christine Drabicki says she and her husband, David, carried the bedbugs home to Plymouth, Michigan, where they infected their two daughters, one of whom suffered an allergic reaction, according to the lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court.

New York has been hard hit by bedbugs. The United Nations, the Harlem office of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, several retail stores and a movie theater have suffered outbreaks of the infestation.

The Drabickis stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria from May 24-27, and noticed bedbug bites after the first night, Drabicki said. The hotel moved them to another room but did not tell them their luggage might be infested as well, she said at a news conference on Thursday.

The family had to vacate their home for six weeks while the house was exterminated for about $4,500. Also, about 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of clothing had to be disinfected, and much of it was discarded, she said.

“It wreaked havoc on us,” she said.

The family is seeking an unspecified amount as “reasonable compensation” and seeking money for their emotional distress, according to Alan Schnurman, Drabicki’s attorney.

The Waldorf is part of the Hilton Worldwide chain, and a Hilton Worldwide spokesman said in a statement that the room had tested negative for bedbugs.

“The initial room, and the room the family relocated to, both tested negative,” the statement said. “Official inspection reports indicated no evidence or indication of bedbugs.”

“The Waldorf-Astoria takes allegations of bedbugs very seriously as the safety and well-being of our guests is of paramount importance,” it said.

Continue Reading More: Michigan Family Sues Waldorf Astoria Over Bedbugs

10/31/10 BedBug Outbreak Puts NYC Tourists On Alert

FORGET the threats of terrorist attacks or cyber warfare – what is really terrorising New Yorkers is a tiny creature just a fraction of an inch long that is extremely itchy.

Cimex Lectularius, otherwise known as the bedbug, has struck some of the city’s most famous institutions, including the Empire State Building, the United Nations, the Waldorf Astoria and Bloomingdale’s.

The worst infestation of the blood-sucking parasite for decades has hit so many places that Michael Bloomberg, the mayor, has set up a bedbug advisory board, because he fears they could damage the city’s tourism industry. He also plans to appoint a “bedbug czar”. There is even an iPhone app, bedbug alert, which warns of infestations.

With the United States seized by bedbug hysteria, Joel Stein, a columnist for Time magazine, described how his wife forced him to take off his clothes and shower on entering the house after travelling.

“We were once a nation deathly afraid of statistically improbable but powerful things: witches, communism, Mexicans taking our jobs,” he wrote. “Now we are freaked out about bedbugs.”

The parasites have no respect for authority. Last weekend trained dogs were sent into the UN headquarters to sniff out bedbugs that had embedded themselves in a set of antique chairs in a conference room. They were quickly replaced with bug-proof plastic and steel chairs before any diplomatic incidents.

The Waldorf Astoria is being sued by a Florida woman who claimed her daughter was bitten while staying there. The hotel insists it found no evidence of bedbugs in her room.

Last month the Niketown store had to close for fumigation, as did Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch. Bloomingdale’s was also hit, although officials were quick to make it clear that they had found just one parasite in its 59th Street premises and this was quickly disposed of.

Empire State Building officials found a bedbug in the basement and the Lincoln Center for performing arts announced that it had discovered traces of the vermin the day after its annual autumn gala, attended by the stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Natalie Portman.

Some entrepreneurs are trying to cash in on the hysteria by staging Bedbugs!!!, a musical. The songs include Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite! and He Pierced Me.

The iPhone bedbug alert shows maps for 10 cities with red dots to represent places where the pests have been found. Reports are constantly updated and users submit their own sightings. The app also has a “bedbug tutorial” explaining what to look for or how to tell if you have been bitten.

Continue Reading More: Bedbug Outbreak Puts NYC Tourists On Alert

10/28/10 NYC BedBug Epidemic Spreads To The United Nations

New York City’s bedbug epidemic has spread to yet another landmark in the city that never sleeps — the United Nations, officials at the world organization said on Wednesday.

The pests appeared at places like the Empire State Building and Bloomingdale’s before reaching the city’s center of international diplomacy on the East Side of Manhattan.

The U.N. press office said a bedbug-sniffing dog had confirmed the presence of bedbugs in furniture in the basement of the Dag Hammarskjold Library, where the offices of the team overseeing the U.N. headquarters’ $1.9 billion renovation project are housed.

“This furniture has been moved to a part of the building not occupied by staff to facilitate fumigation,” it said.

The library is a three-story annex to the main building.

“Bedbug infestations have been found in many public and commercial buildings throughout New York City indicating a worsening problem,” the U.N. statement said.

Continue Reading More: NYC BedBug Epidemic Spreads To The United Nations