Bedbug infestation in Lahore hospitals/Infestation de punaises de lit dans des hopitaux de Lahore

Background: Bedbug infestation has been reported globally, but there are few reports about this parasite of public health importance in Pakistan. This is the first study on bedbug infestation in a healthcare setting in Lahore, Pakistan. Aims: To study bedbug infestation in public sector hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 86 wards of 2 tertiary care hospitals in Lahore during October and November 2019, using nonprobability sampling technique. Ward supervisors were interviewed using a self-developed structured questionnaire and wards were examined for bedbugs or their markers. Results: Evidence of bedbug infestation was found in 72.1% of the wards. There was no significant difference in infestation rate between the 2 hospitals but there was a significantly lower incidence of infestation in wards that implemented control measures (25.8% vs 74.2%). No control measures were implemented in 53.4% of the wards sampled. Conclusion: Bedbug infestation was rife in the 2 hospitals studied and knowledge about identification and eradication of the pest among ward supervisors was inadequate. Control measures, where applied, were substandard and not evidence-based. Keywords: bedbugs, infestation, Cimex lectularius, public hospitals, Lahore, Pakistan Contexte : Des infestations de punaises de lit ont ete signalees dans le monde entier, mais peu de rapports font etat de ce parasite important du point de vue de la sante publique au Pakistan. Il s'agit de la premiere etude sur l'infestation de punaises de lit dans un etablissement de sante a Lahore, au Pakistan. Objectifs : Etudier l'infestation de punaises de lit dans des hopitaux du secteur public a Lahore, au Pakistan. Methodes : La presente etude transversale a ete menee dans 86 services de deux hopitaux de soins tertiaires a Lahore en octobre et novembre 2019, en utilisant une technique d'echantillonnage non probabiliste. Les responsables des services ont ete interroges au moyen d'un questionnaire structure auto-developpe et les services ont ete examines a la recherche de punaises de lit ou de leurs marqueurs. Resultats : Des signes d'infestation de punaises de lit ont ete trouves dans 72,1 % des services. Il n'y avait pas de difference significative dans le taux d'infestation entre les deux hopitaux, mais l'incidence de l'infestation dans les services qui avaient mis en oeuvre des mesures de lutte etait considerablement plus faible (25,8 % contre 74,2 %). Aucune mesure de