NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Bedbugs were found earlier this week lurking in at least one area of the Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center in Manhattan.
The New York Post first reported the story, claiming the bedbugs were found in an area of the Madison Avenue facility where patients recovering from spinal injuries were housed.
However, a source close to the situation told WCBS 880 and 1010 WINS that the bedbugs were isolated to a staff break room.
A nurse told the Post that the bedbugs were first noticed on Sunday, but management did not call in pest control services until days later, leading them to make harsh comments towards the hospital system’s management team.
However, a WCBS 880 and 1010 WINS source refuted the claims, saying that the staff room was closed off and the bugs were dealt with immediately.
“Earlier this week, bedbugs were identified in and around a staff area. As per hospital protocol, environmental services and pest control were notified,” Mount Sinai said in a statement. “The area was cleared of personal belongings, closed, treated and completely disinfected.”
The source added that a dog trained in pest inspection was brought into the rehabilitation center to inspect the room and other areas of the facility, and pest control found no evidence of an outbreak.
A bedbug expert told the Post that Mount Sinai has not been the only facility in New York City to find the itchy pests lurking about.
“We get calls from everywhere — hotels, department stores, airports and, yeah, hospitals,” the expert, a partner at NYC Bed Bug Inspections, said.
He added that many times, when bedbugs are found, they are “isolated incidents that are treated.”
He told the Post: “Anywhere there’s human traffic you run the risk of catching bedbugs.”
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