Bed bug infestations can cause an uproar no doubt.  Across the United States, landlords and tenants have fought as to who is responsible for eradicating the bloodsuckers when an infestation occurs in a rental property.  School districts in the United States have various responses when bed bugs arrive on the scene.  Some close their doors while treatment commences, other remain open, to the panic of worried parents.

There is an unspoken stigma attached when a person has a bed bug infestation.  Many people are left feeling isolated and alone as they battle the blood thirsty pests.  A recent study of bed bug infestation victims has shown that people who suffer through infestations are prone to heightened anxiety and depression issues.

The fear of bringing bed bugs into a home or business environment can make people do strange and unusual things.

An Aurora, Colorado woman claims that she was denied medical treatment because she has bed bugs!  The woman claims that she was due to receive spinal treatment when a nurse asked her about the bug bites on her arms.  The patient advised the nurse that the bites were in fact…bed bug bites.  According to news reports, the patient claims that she was escorted out of the medical facility by her physician who commented “it could be in your hair, it could be in your clothes and we can’t have you bring that into our operating room,” in regards to her bed bug infestation problem.

It’s very difficult dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial issues involved when you have a bed bug infestation.  Being denied medical treatment because of bed bugs is over the top!  Many hospitals and medical facilities throughout the United States recognize the widespread problem that bed bugs have become and have developed specific protocol for patients that they suspect have bed bugs on their person, or patients who disclose that they are suffering from an infestation in their home.  These protocols not only help the patient, they also help curtail the spreading of any infestation within the medical facility.

Denying a patient medical services because of bed bugs is a missed opportunity to educate the patient about bed bugs, provide medical services for the bed bug bite wounds, and provide advice about obtaining pest control services.