Spatial-Temporal Trends in Bed Bug Complaints in New York City [article]

Kathryn P Hacker, Andrew J Greenlee, Alison L Hill, Daniel Schneider, Michael Z Levy
2020 medRxiv   pre-print
Bed bug outbreaks pose a major challenge in urban environments and cause significant strain on public resources. Few studies have systematically analyzed the epidemic or the potential effects of policies to combat bed bugs. Here we use three sources of administrative data to characterize the spatial-temporal trends of bed bug complaints and reports in New York City. Bed bug specific complaints have significantly decreased (−0.021 ± CI −0.027 - − 0.014, p < 0.001 decrease in complaints per
more » ... 0 people per month) from 2014-2019. Despite the decrease areas with high bed bug infestation tend to remain infested, highlighting the persistence of these pests. There are limitations to the datasets; still the evidence available suggests that interventions employed by New York City residents and lawmakers are stemming the bed bug epidemic and may serve as a model for other large cities.
doi:10.1101/2020.06.30.20143669 fatcat:hoafc3ca4jchfefy3lcjumggca