BED BUGS OR NO BED BUGS, DELEGATES EXPRESS SATISFACTION AS NAAC SUMMIT CLIMAXES

  

Cripping Bed bug

By Ekpor Temple

When delegates arrived on the 13th of August for the sixth edition of the National Association of Adventist Corps Members (NAAC) summit being held at Government Secondary School, Kuje, FCT, Abuja, bed bugs in the dormitory camps rebelled and staged a number of attacks.

Many of our participants chose not to stay in the designated hostel space due to their concern about the ravaging bed bugs. Austin Vicker, a delegate from Cross River, was among many who vehemently lamented bed bugs and mosquito bites and hoped NAAC authorities would do all in their power to assuage members' anxiety.

“We had an accommodation experience that really didn’t go down well. At the hostel we were accommodated, there were bed bugs on our bed. Even when I was sleeping at night, they were falling down like rainfall.

“I didn’t sleep well because of bed bug issues, some of the delegates were afraid it will enter the beds, bags and body, etc, but we give God the glory that the central working committee has been able to nip that in the bud via fumigation and total replacement of the foams.

What are bedbugs?

According to Dr. Grace Audu, an Abuja-based medical expert, said Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals. Humans are the preferred hosts for the two main species.

“They are called bedbugs because of their preferred habitat in human homes: Sofas, bed mattresses, clothing, and other soft furnishings. They also prefer the dark. Bedbugs are seen as a growing problem within all types of dwellings, including private homes, dormitories, cruise ships, army barracks, and shelters.

“A bedbug will pierce the skin of its host with its mouth part. It first injects saliva that is a mixture of an anesthetic, so that the host feels nothing, and an anticoagulant so that the blood flows out freely. It then sucks out blood until it is full. The bites are not noticeable until after the skin reaction has occurred.

She said that although bed bug bites themselves aren't harmful to humans, effects of bed bug bites can cause health complications like sleep deprivation and anemia from loss of blood. Although the bites are intrinsically dangerous, the bites are itchy, and often require over-the-counter treatment to relieve the itchiness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it can take up to 14 days Trusted Source for bites to appear. Bedbugs can only reproduce when they have reached maturity. A female bedbug lays approximately seven eggs in a day and hundreds during her lifetime. A review of bedbug research conducted in 2016 found that while they are highly resistant to removal methods, bedbugs seem to be more of a nuisance than a serious health problem.

Research has failed to show any link or trusted Source between the bedbugs associated with humans and human disease. The biggest risk for humans comes from secondary bacterial infection. With bedbugs, this would occur as a result of scratching the skin. Scratching, if it breaks the skin, allows normal bacteria from the surface of the skin to penetrate deeper. The source of any bacterial infection is, therefore, the human host and not the bedbug.

However, many participants expressed delight that the summit program met their expectations during the excursion and trip to Abuja National Park and wild life resort, despite the bed bug plaque and horrifying torments they experienced in their lodging at the beginning of the summit.

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