Bedbug infestation in Lahore hospitals.

Background: Bedbug infestation has been reported globally, but there are few reports about this parasite of public health importance in Pakistan. This is the first study on bedbug infestation in a healthcare setting in Lahore, Pakistan. Aims: To study bedbug infestation in public sector hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 86 wards of 2 tertiary care hospitals in Lahore during October and November 2019, using nonprobability sampling technique. Ward supervisors were interviewed using a self-developed structured questionnaire and wards were examined for bedbugs or their markers. Results: Evidence of bedbug infestation was found in 72.1% of the wards. There was no significant difference in infestation rate between the 2 hospitals but there was a significantly lower incidence of infestation in wards that implemented control measures (25.8% vs 74.2%). No control measures were implemented in 53.4% of the wards sampled. Conclusion: Bedbug infestation was rife in the 2 hospitals studied and knowledge about identification and eradication of the pest among ward supervisors was inadequate. Control measures, where applied, were substandard and not evidence-based.