Possible Bed bugs on Ecstasy! Dec 10-15, 07

[witsend46HMFS8E]

Well we have beat this dog to death. Tomorrow we board the Estacsy with high hopes that CARNIVAL has sanitized the infamous cabin E191. We go armed with bed covers, hypoallergetic bug spray, and a small sample jar just in case we can capture the blood sucking devils. I hope for the best otherwise I will stand in the Atrium, in front of the pursers with a sign, until the problem is resolved. Get back to you with details after trip! witsend46

[Snoozeman]

Well we have beat this dog to death. Tomorrow we board the Estacsy with high hopes that CARNIVAL has sanitized the infamous cabin E191. We go armed with bed covers, hypoallergetic bug spray, and a small sample jar just in case we can capture the blood sucking devils. I hope for the best otherwise I will stand in the Atrium, in front of the pursers with a sign, until the problem is resolved. Get back to you with details after trip! witsend46

 

I think your going to be just fine! Enjoy your cruise and do let us know.

[bychance]

I have read this whole thread and my thoughts keep coming back to.....

who cares where the bugs came from? With a 100++ bug bites don't you think SOMEONE should be alarmed by this!

 

So what if they brought it from a hotel room or they picked something up in port. I would like to think the cruise line would check it out in the interest of future passengers. If the passenger brought them on board from somewhere else it is still the responsibility of the cruise line to fumigate the room.

 

 

Also I do think they should contact the passengers affected to see if they visited a doctor once getting home. Just to make sure.

 

I would not to be in the next cruiser in that room with out feeling confident that they took this seriously.

 

They got eatin by something !!! And I don't want to room with those guys!

 

 

bychance

[Snoozeman]

So what if they brought it from a hotel room or they picked something up in port. I would like to think the cruise line would check it out in the interest of future passengers. If the passenger brought them on board from somewhere else it is still the responsibility of the cruise line to fumigate the room.

 

No one disagrees with that.

[ruskatab]

Well we have beat this dog to death. Tomorrow we board the Estacsy with high hopes that CARNIVAL has sanitized the infamous cabin E191. We go armed with bed covers, hypoallergetic bug spray, and a small sample jar just in case we can capture the blood sucking devils. I hope for the best otherwise I will stand in the Atrium, in front of the pursers with a sign, until the problem is resolved. Get back to you with details after trip! witsend46

 

I will be patiently waiting for your report when you get back. I can just see you rushing into the cabin and ripping the sheets off then ripping the mattress off frantically looking for the dreaded bed bugs. I would print out the claim from the original OP for extra leaverage in case they are present. Good Luck and I hope all goes well.

[bychance]

No one disagrees with that.

 

 

That is not the feeling I get. I get the feeling that everyone wants the OP to admit they were wrong about the bed bugs.

 

bychance

[standby 06.30]

Bed bugs DO NOT attach themselves to you. They feed more in line with a mosquitto than a tick. Therefore, I still want to know just what did the OP and family find attached to their bodies.

I am attached to my wife and to my wallet, it may be an oxymoron, they may be different forms of attachments, but are you not "nit picking" regards

[standby 06.30]

I fully believe the OP and can't understand others "wacky" reasoning behind their belief that the OP "somehow" brought these pests with them. If you read the original message, they said that they had 100+ (between the group) bites, with some of the suckers still attached. That would indicate a bed bug colony, not a few bugs that hitched a ride on their luggage. Bed bugs only feed every 4-5 days, thus one bed bug would not be biting them more than twice during their trip. A good size colony, that could produce enough bugs, takes approximately 5 weeks (or more) to be generated. Thus, these little suckers have probably been doing their thing for a while. They have a perfect situation. When most people see the handful of welts on them, they assume they are mosquitos bites/sand fleas/jelly fish/fill-in-the blank received in Cozumel or Progresso. Bed bugs would be the last thing on their mind. My last visit to Cozumel, I was truly eaten alive (by mosquitos) on my excursion. I for one, will be doing a more thorough examination of my room, when I leave in 5 weeks. Now that I've been made more aware, I will be inspecting hotel rooms, also. Thank you, OP, for making me more mindful of the potential of my surroundings, while on vacation.

 

Eric

What a good post, can you see the publicity the first hotel chain or Cruise line would get if they stated we may have "Bed Bugs so for your safety we will ect ect" regards

[GlamourGirl0730]

Thank you so much for informing us!!! Regardless of what it was, and I'm pretty convinced it was bed bugs, the main issue is that some insect was either in your bed in your cabin, somewhere on the ship, or somewhere on one of the islands. I love carnival but cruise ships and hotel rooms are truly not the most clean.

 

I'm so grateful that you not only took the time out to inform us, but also to call corporate!!! Thank you.

[standby 06.30]

Oh I can't wait to see how the cheerleaders spin this one!

Like Flea's dancing on a pinhead! or did I get it wrong? "like pinhead's dancing on a Flea", regards

[standby 06.30]

Eric, I would have assumed sometime along those lines might be possible too, but I spent Monday on the phone with every agency I could think to call, which is basically what my job is anyway, and every single one of them without exception said if the "bug" was found "attached" to the body, and esp after getting up, it was not bed bugs. I actually learned a lot so it was not a waste of my time. A bed bug has nothing to even be able to attach itself to you like say a tick or even a flea does.

 

If you read what the OP and her MIL wrote you will find that they found not one or two "attached" which maybe could have been stuck on I thought, but some were found attached even hours after leaving the ship. Added to the fact of all the scratching going on, a bed bug would not still be "attached".

 

Therefore the only conclusion I can reach is that whatever it was it was not bedbugs. So I still want to know what it was because even though I received several thoughts on what they could have been, everyone said without actually seeing the bug, they could not be sure.

 

I had been hoping the OP or MIL would post an actual picture of the bug, but I realize that would probably be hard to do as anyone that has tried to take a close up picture would know.

 

When you see someone claiming to have been bitten by a rattle snake and you look and see rows of teeth, you know they have been bitten by "something" but you also know it was not a rattle snake. Same think with the OP and family. They were biten by "something" just not bedbugs.

I was once fooled by a "worm" playing the Maracas, I thought it was a rattler, my Dad bought me a book on musical instruments, so I can now tell the difference, I was only 4 at the time! did you really take the time to phone all those agencies? regards

[rn2go2]

Yes. As a nurse I was concerned

[rn2go2]

As far as the bedbugs attaching to you, they are not like a tick, but while they are feeding, they do attach.

Everything I read on the med web said that they DO NOT transmit dieases to humans, I don't know where the earlier post got the information that they do.

There is no where else that I can think of getting the bites. The hotel room we stayed in at Galveston the night before the cruise, don't think so, we didn't bring our suitcases in..........just had a change for the day of sailing and they left the clothes we drove down in, in the car.

We did go to the beach, but I took off my shoes and socks and put on wet socks.........when I took them off the shoes and socks went back on.

The nurse notes state " guest reports bed bugs-bought bugs to imfirmary. Bites all over body, red and itchy." Terri did have one live bug in a plastic envelope the nurse saw.. Customs wouldn't let us leave until they killed it.

[rn2go2]

trying to send a picture of my leg taken last night with bites

[rn2go2]

Here is a picture of the bug that was taken off of me at the hotel. It is under the OU

[Wennfred]

Tomorrow we board the Estacsy with high hopes that CARNIVAL has sanitized the infamous cabin E191. We go armed with bed covers, hypoallergetic bug spray, and a small sample jar just in case we can capture the blood sucking devils.

 

I wish you the best, I would lend you my AK-47 assault rifle with 3 cases of ammo but you live too far.

 

 

 

Fred

[jayesouthworth]

It seems to me, that if you had a disease such as diabetes, that getting bites by anything to the feet can be a dangerous thing. That is what would concern me the most, an infection. Those bites look like you wanna sratch them! :eek:

[LHP]

I wish you the best, I would lend you my AK-47 assault rifle with 3 cases of ammo but you live too far.

 

 

 

Fred

 

I'll take my Desert Eagle!! There won't be a mattress left...much less any bugs!!!

[halos]

It seems to me, that if you had a disease such as diabetes, that getting bites by anything to the feet can be a dangerous thing. That is what would concern me the most, an infection. Those bites look like you wanna sratch them! :eek:

 

But in all reality, if you have something serious that makes even a bug bite a real problem, then traveling to hot climates would be dangerous in itself, no??

Between sand fleas, mosquitos and ants alone, the Caribbean and Central and South America would be disasterous places for someone with diabetes or going through chemo. And I can't imagine that someone going through chemo would be wise using any kind of pesticide on their skin...that in itself seems extremely dangerous to me.

[MusicMan]

Stay away from those products that contain DEET, its very harmful, one good product that does the job is Skin So Soft from Avon.

 

 

Deet Dangers:

 

 

Every year, approximately one-third of the U.S. population uses insect repellants containing DEET to ward off mosquitoes and other pests. At present, DEET is used in more than 230 products with concentrations up to 100 percent.

 

However, DEET should be used with caution due to its possible damaging effects on brain cells. Studies have shown that DEET causes brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. This exposure causes neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle movement, learning, memory, and concentration. Rats treated with an average human dose of DEET (40 mg/kg body weight) performed far worse when challenged with physical tasks requiring muscle control, strength and coordination. These findings are consistent with reported human symptoms following DEET's use by the military in the Persian Gulf War.

 

With heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides, humans may experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath. These symptoms may not be evident until months or even years after exposure. The most severe damage occurs when DEET is used concurrently with other insecticides, such as permethrin, for prolonged and frequent periods of time. At this time, there is little information about the short-term, singular and occasional use of DEET. Further government testing of the chemical's safety is necessary. However, frequent and long-term use of DEET, especially in combination with other chemicals or medications, could cause brain deficits in vulnerable populations, particularly children.

 

The preceeding quote is from a site THAT SELLS "ALL NATURAL" REMEDIES!! Can you say "bias"? I knew that you could. The FOLLOWING quote is from THE EPA (you know Environmental Protection Agency):

Safety review of DEET completed in 1998

 

After completing a comprehensive re-assessment of DEET, EPA concluded that, as long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions, insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern. Human exposure is expected to be brief, and long-term exposure is not expected. Based on extensive toxicity testing, the Agency believes that the normal use of DEET does not present a health concern to the general population.

[futaba951]

The preceeding quote is from a site THAT SELLS "ALL NATURAL" REMEDIES!! Can you say "bias"? I knew that you could. The FOLLOWING quote is from THE EPA (you know Environmental Protection Agency):

 

Safety review of DEET completed in 1998

 

After completing a comprehensive re-assessment of DEET, EPA concluded that, as long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions, insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern. Human exposure is expected to be brief, and long-term exposure is not expected. Based on extensive toxicity testing, the Agency believes that the normal use of DEET does not present a health concern to the general population.

 

Remember to keep the EPA's statement in the context that the EPA has also approved every item that has later been recalled and removed from use because it was later discovered to be harmful to humans and the environment. I'm not saying that this is the case with DEET. But just like everything else that the "experts" in our government have a hand in, their GUESS is as good as ours.

[mark3232]

I love this post. It’s not very often I read something so entertaining…

You have a guy that can’t spell and his story and employment history may be disingenuous. You have a document that is so vague that it would be questionable in court of law if used as evidence. We have pictures of bedbugs and what they look like plus a link on where to buy all natural products that treat and kill bedbugs. And by now some of the paranoid people that have placed an order, have received it and it’s in the suitcase ready for the upcoming cruise (don’t forget your magnifying glass and maybe it’s a good enough reason to stay in your cabin during the muster drill and battle your own war on bedbugs(GW Bush would be proud of you!)). ~LOL~

[tahitidreamz]

All I know is after reading this post I have been one scratching wahine. That just gave me the heebie jeebies....

I feel bad for anyone going through that.....Made up or not.....:(

 

tahiti

[MusicMan]

Remember to keep the EPA's statement in the context that the EPA has also approved every item that has later been recalled and removed from use because it was later discovered to be harmful to humans and the environment.

 

 

Either found to be harmful, or pressured by political correctness into being withdrawn. Many scientists feel we'd be MUCH better off (and certainly portions of the world plagued by malaria would be much better off) had DDT not been banned. My personal opinion, is that most of the alarm over DEET falls in the same category. Something worth noting, but balanced against the good it does.

[sakapfet]

This is off the subject, but this is something that I believe will be of great interest to Fred:

"

FDA Requests Recall of 'True Man Sexual Energy,' 'Energy Max' Dietary Supplements

 

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday requested a recall of True Man Sexual Energy Nutrient Capsules and Energy Max Energy Supplement Men's Formula Capsules. The products, often advertised as ``all natural'' alternatives potency drugs, could interact with medications and cause dangerously high blood pressure.

The FDA has not approved True Man or Energy Max, and their safety and effectiveness are unknown.

The products are often advertised in newspapers, retail stores, and on the Internet. "