Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T02:57:46.331Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Introducing Law Students to Public Health Law through a Bed Bug Scenario

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Extract

Bedbugs are tiny, wingless insects which feed on mammal blood and leave behind painful, itchy sores. Although they can live in other settings, they are most commonly found in warm, dark places inhabited by humans, like beds. After being absent in the United States for over 60 years, thanks to powerful pesticides, bed bugs (Cimex lectularius), have returned in force and are present in every state and nearly every city. For reasons not entirely understood, bed bugs have developed resistance to traditional pesticides such as Permethrin and are therefore difficult to control. Although commonly believed to be associated with dirty housekeeping and associated with substandard housing, bed bugs are equally likely to be present in five-star hotels as they are in homeless shelters.

Type
JLME Supplement
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2015

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Introduction to Bed Bugs,” available at <http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs/introduction-bed-bugs> (last visited June 1, 2015); Joint Statement on Bed Bug Control in the United States from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <http://www2.epa.gov/bedbugs> (last visited June 1, 2015); Ohio Department of Health, “Managing Bed Bugs in the Workplace,” available at <http://www.odh.ohio.gov/∼/media/ODH/ASSETS/Files/dis/vector%20borne/bedbugworkfacility.ashx> (last visited October 28, 2013).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015);+Joint+Statement+on+Bed+Bug+Control+in+the+United+States+from+the+U.S.+Centers+for+Disease+Control+and+Prevention+(CDC)+and+the+U.S.+Environmental+Protection+Agency+(EPA),+Centers+for+Disease+Control+and+Prevention++(last+visited+June+1,+2015);+Ohio+Department+of+Health,+“Managing+Bed+Bugs+in+the+Workplace,”+available+at++(last+visited+October+28,+2013).>Google Scholar
See Borreli, L., “Good Night, Sleep Tight: Bed Bugs and Other Living Things Found Crawling In Your Bed,” Medical Daily, March 19, 2015, available at <http://www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/good-night-sleep-tight-bed-bugs-and-other-living-things-found-crawling-your-bed-326280> (“A dirty and dark bedroom is the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs.”); Doggett, S. L. et al. , “Bed Bugs: Clinical Relevance and Control Options,” Clinical Microbiology Reviews 25, no. 1 (2012): 164192, at 167, available at <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3255965/> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(“A+dirty+and+dark+bedroom+is+the+perfect+breeding+ground+for+bed+bugs.”);+Doggett,+S.+L.,+“Bed+Bugs:+Clinical+Relevance+and+Control+Options,”+Clinical+Microbiology+Reviews+25,+no.+1+(2012):+164–192,+at+167,+available+at++(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
Id. (Doggett, et al. ), at 164–165.Google Scholar
See Caan, J., “Wil-Kil Pest Control Advises Travelers to Take Precautions Against Bed Bugs this Spring Travel Season,” Mequon Now, March 27, 2015, available at <http://www.mequonnow.com/userstoriessubmitted/297811701.html> (last visited June 1, 2015) (“Because these pests are not associated with uncleanliness or poor hygiene, they are just as likely to show up at a five-star resort as they are a roadside motel, which means all travelers need to be diligent in taking precautions to avoid bringing home bed bugs.”).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015)+(“Because+these+pests+are+not+associated+with+uncleanliness+or+poor+hygiene,+they+are+just+as+likely+to+show+up+at+a+five-star+resort+as+they+are+a+roadside+motel,+which+means+all+travelers+need+to+be+diligent+in+taking+precautions+to+avoid+bringing+home+bed+bugs.”).>Google Scholar
Pest Control Technology, See Bayer, Ace Exterminating Partner Service a Homeless Shelter, March 11, 2015, available at <http://www.pctonline.com/Bayer-Tales-Transformation-Steinau-homeless-shelter-donation.aspx> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
Hasnie, A., “IUPUI Student Complains of Bed Bugs in Off-Campus Housing,” Fox News Indianapolis, March 27, 2015, available at <http://fox59.com/2015/03/27/iupui-student-complains-of-bed-bugs-in-off-campus-housing/> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
Donohue, P., “Bedbugs Found on Another Subway Line, MTA Takes Three R Trains Out of Service,” New York Daily News, September 10, 2014, available at <http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bedbugs-found-subway-line-article-1.1934519> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
City of Lubbock Finance Department, Population Demographics January 2014, available at <http://www.mylubbock.us/docs/default-source/finance-files/demographics.pdf?sfvrsn=8> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
See Department of Numbers, Lubbock Texas Residential Rent and Rental Statistics (2013), available at <http://www.deptofnumbers.com/rent/texas/lubbock/> (last visited June 1, 2015); Douglas, R. S., Survey Shows Stable Rental Market, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, July 28, 2013, available at <http://lubbockonline.com/business/2013-07-28/survey-shows-stable-rental-market#.VR6zwU0tGck> (last visited June 1, 2015) (“Lubbock's rental market is stable and continues to grow, enjoying a near-record occupancy rate in June [2013].”).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015);+Douglas,+R.+S.,+Survey+Shows+Stable+Rental+Market,+Lubbock+Avalanche-Journal,+July+28,+2013,+available+at++(last+visited+June+1,+2015)+(“Lubbock's+rental+market+is+stable+and+continues+to+grow,+enjoying+a+near-record+occupancy+rate+in+June+[2013].”).>Google Scholar
See, e.g., National Conference of State Legislatures, State Bedbug Laws, available at <http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-bedbug-laws.aspx> (last visited June 1, 2015) (demonstrating the wide array of state health codes pertaining to bed bugs).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015)+(demonstrating+the+wide+array+of+state+health+codes+pertaining+to+bed+bugs).>Google Scholar
See Tex. Prop. Code Ann. § 92.052(a) (West 2013). See also Kamarath v. Bennett, 568 S.W.2d 658, 660–61 (Tex. 1978) (finding the existence of an implied warranty of habitability in Texas landlord-tenant cases).Google Scholar
Tex. Dept. of State Health Services, “Public Nuisance Complaints,” available at <http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/phs/publicnuis.aspx> (last visited June 1, 2015).+(last+visited+June+1,+2015).>Google Scholar
See Office of the Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection Division, “Tenant Rights,” available at <https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/tenant-rights> (last visited Apr. 6, 2015).+(last+visited+Apr.+6,+2015).>Google Scholar
See Wilson, W. R., TAA Board approves new Bed Bug Addendum, Texas Apartment Association, available at <http://www.taa.org/taa-news/2459-taa-board-approves-new-bed-bug-addendum> (last visited June 1, 2015).Google Scholar
Cindy George, Bedbugs Create Irritating Situation for Renter, Houston Chron. (Feb. 16, 2013), http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Bedbugs-create-irritating-situation-for-renter-4283826.php.Google Scholar
See Gostin, Lawrence O., Mapping the Issues: Public Health, Law and Ethics 3 (Georgetown Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper No. 10–36, 2010), available at http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1373&context=facpub.Google Scholar
See Galva, Jorge E. et al. , Public Health Strategy and the Police Powers of the State, 120(1) Public Health Reports 20, 20–27 (2005), available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2569983/ (“Suspected cases of communicable diseases arriving from outside the United States and the spread of communicable diseases between states are controlled by federal legislation.”).Google Scholar
See, e.g., N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:3. In New Hampshire, the statute dictates that a tenant cannot refuse the landlord access to the premises if the landlord is required to evaluate whether bedbugs are present. Id.Google Scholar
See, e.g., Tex. Health & Safety Code § 341.011(1)–(12) (West 2013) (listing public health nuisances).Google Scholar
Tex. Health & Safety Code § 341.011(10) (West 2010).Google Scholar
Chicago, Ill. Municipal Code § 4-4-322 (2012), available at <http://gallery.mailchimpcom/064a4eb35bd70aef6394f83eb/files/O2012_8254.pdf> (last visited June 2, 2015).+(last+visited+June+2,+2015).>Google Scholar
See Anders, M., “Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite: Michigan Bills Define Landlord, Tenant Roles in Eradicating Pests,” MLive, May 7, 2014, available at <http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/05/bedbugs_michigan_legislation.html> (last visited June 2, 2015); Michigan Dept. of Community Health, “Michigan Manual for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs,” available at <http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/Bed_Bug_Manual_v1_full_reduce_326605_7.pdf> (last visited June 2, 2015).Google Scholar
Michigan Dept. of Community Health, Michigan Manual for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs, available at <http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/Bed_Bug_Manual_v1_full_reduce_326605_7.pdf> (last visited June 2, 2015).+(last+visited+June+2,+2015).>Google Scholar
Texas Bed Bug Registry, “Bed Bug Infestation Rep. & Google Maps Tracking the Bed Bugs Epidemic,” available at <http://www.bedbugpestcontrol.com/category/bed-bugs-world/bed-bugs-united-states/bed-bugs-texas> (last visited June 2, 2015); see also Bed Bug Registry, <http://www.bedbugregistry.com> (last visited June 2, 2015).+(last+visited+June+2,+2015);+see+also+Bed+Bug+Registry,++(last+visited+June+2,+2015).>Google Scholar
KCBD, “Food for Thought,” available at <http://www.kcbd.com/category/6128/food-for-thought> (last visited June 2, 2015). Other regions have similar programs. See Sullivan, H., “Restaurant Report: Richmond,” CBS-WWBT, available at <http://www.nbc12.com/category/153460/restaurant-report> (last visited June 2, 2015).+(last+visited+June+2,+2015).+Other+regions+have+similar+programs.+See+Sullivan,+H.,+“Restaurant+Report:+Richmond,”+CBS-WWBT,+available+at++(last+visited+June+2,+2015).>Google Scholar