Study: LA Ranks 5th Among Top Bed Bug Cities In America

(credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES (CBS) Los Angeles is among the topten cities inthe nation with the most bed bugs, according to a study released Wednesday by Orkin.

Orkin announced its top 50 bed bug cities for 2011, and the City of Angelsranked fifth. Cincinnati came in at number one, followed by Chicago, Detroit and Denver.

The study ranked cities in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin preformed from Jan. to Dec. 2011.

Los Angeles jumped from 25th place in the 2010 rankings to fifth in 2011. New York ranked ninth, down two spots from the previous year.

In 2011, Orkins parent company, Rollins, saw a 33.6 percent increase in bed bug business compared to 2010, the study said.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, bed bugs can carry more than 30 different human pathogens, but there is no evidence that bed bugs can transmit diseases. Their bites can, however, leave itchy welts on their victims. Red marks or swelling may also develop, the study said.

Excerpt from:
Study: LA Ranks 5th Among Top Bed Bug Cities In America