Single bedbug found at Sacred Heart Medical Center, hospital says

A single bedbug was recently found at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center’s emergency department, hospital officials said Monday.

In the past month, the hospital has had four suspected incidents of the tiny parasites, said Elizabeth DeRuyter, a hospital spokeswoman.

Each report was investigated, she said in an email. Of the other three reports, one was a stink bug, one was a beetle and one was a piece of lint.

Incidents of bedbugs in hospitals aren’t uncommon, DeRuyter said. Bedbugs arrive at the hospital in personal belongings and get carried from one area to another.

Providence is proactive in investigating suspected bedbug incidents and has procedures in place to respond quickly and control the possibility of an infestation, DeRuyter said.

Bedbugs don’t spread disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, their bites can lead to scratching that increases the risk of a secondary infection.