Saint John hospital hit by bed bugs

St. Joseph's Hospital in Saint John has been hit with an infestation of bed bugs.

Hospital officials have confirmed that bed bugs were discovered in a patient's room, and Braemar Pest Control was called in to clear them out using non-toxic steam.

But officials have refused to give any details about the infestation, such as how many people the bug affected or how long the bugs were in the building.

Tracy Shipley, spokeswoman for Horizon Health, would only say in an email to CBC that they believe the infestation is now under control and they continue to monitor the situation.

Greg Flynn of Braemar Pest Control, said his company has been doing regular checks of the hospital, and he's not surprised it has been hit by bed bugs.

The bug probably hitched a ride on a visitor to the hospital, he said.

"I don't think it's a public safety issue that people have to be too concerned with, as long as we're following the right procedures," Flynn said.

The problem of bedbug infestations has been exploding in Saint John, he said, and his company alone has been getting a dozen house calls every week. He said bedbugs are hard to kill.

New Brunswick's health officials said the bugs do not transfer disease, and although they can make people uncomfortable, they do not pose a public health risk.

Freezing, steaming and poisoning the bugs are the most common treatments for the nocturnal blood feeder, but it can take weeks and months to eradicate them entirely.