An outbreak of bed bugs was discovered in the administrative offices of University of Wisconsin Health last week and led to a building wide disinfection by a pest control company, UW Health and Clinics officials said in a statement.
Insects later confirmed to be bed bugs were found on the first floor of the UW Health’s administrative offices building on UW Health Court in Middleton.
According to the statement, a pest control company was brought in after the insect infestation was discovered.
The entire building was later inspected for more bed bugs, and the rest of the floors are believed to be safe from infestation, according to the statement.
Lisa Brunette, spokesperson for UW Health and Clinics, said they believe the bed bugs entered the offices by latching onto someone entering the building. The inability to know who bed bugs are traveling with makes it easy for them to move undetected.
In recent years, bed bugs have made a national resurgence, appearing everywhere from hotel rooms to clothing stores.
The stealthy travel methods of bed bugs make them difficult to prevent and control. According to the statement, the outbreak at UW Health and Clinics is believed to have been contained to the first floor and eliminated.
Brunette said UW Health and Clinics did everything possible to eliminate the outbreak once it was discovered but could do little to prevent it.
“You can’t prevent it. No organization can do that. That’s why there’s a national outbreak. They travel,” Brunette said.
Brunette reiterated no patients would have been near the outbreak since the bugs were found in the administrative offices and not in patient care, located in a separate building.
UW freshman Brandon Tudisco, a resident of the Witte dormitories, said he is not worried about bed bugs appearing in UW residence halls.
However, the infestation at the office building, along with the outbreaks around the country, have led Tudisco to believe the university is not doing enough to inform students about bed bugs.
Tudisco said students could have been notified about the incident at UW Health and Clinics and should be notified about similar incidents. He added students should be informed about preventative measures the university is taking and what students can do to prevent the spread of bed bugs.
