Bed Bug Symposia to Address Public Health Concerns

Lanham, MD; September 8, 2010 – Entomology 2010 [2], the 58^th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, will feature a full day of bed bug presentations by the nation’s leading bed bug experts. The meeting will take place in San Diego, California, December 12-15, 2010.

The bed bug presentations, which are scheduled for Tuesday, December 14 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, will include the following titles and speakers:

* Bed Bug Demographics and Economic Impacts in Rental Facilities; Dini Miller, Virginia Tech

* The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force: A Diverse Collaborative Endeavor; Susan Jones, The Ohio State University

* Bed Bugs, People, and Politics; Dini M. Miller and Susan C. Jones

* The Bug that Nobody Knows: Extension Entomology's Worst Nightmare; Michael Potter, University of Kentucky

* Bed Bugs' Impact on Health and Public Workers; Harold Harlan, Medical Entomologist

* New York City Bed Bug Advisory Board: Lessons Learned; Louis N. Sorkin, BCE, American Museum of Natural History

* Arming an Unarmed Populace; Mark D. Sheperdigian, Rose Pest Solutions

* Bed Bug Infestations in Low-Income Housing; Changlu Wang, Rutgers University

* Extension Education to Prevent the Spread of Bed Bugs: Helping Public Health and Social Service Workers Cope with Bed Bug Infestations; Stephen Kells, University of Minnesota

* Cultural Adaptation and Deployment of Scientific Advances Pursuant to Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) Elimination in the United States; Janis Reed, Shripat T. Kamble, Stuart Mitchell, Robert Davis, and Jerry Hatch

In addition, meeting attendees will have the opportunity to purchase Monograph of Cimicidae [3], the definitive resource on bed bugs which has recently been reprinted by ESA.

Members of the media who would like to attend Entomology 2010 can contact ESA at sro@entsoc.org [4] or (301) 731-4535, ext. 3009 for a press pass. Proper media credentials must be presented upon arrival and registration to the ESA Meeting, and the credentials must show a direct affiliation with an accredited news organization (print, TV or radio). Public Information Officers from universities may also receive press passes with proper credentials and ID. Freelance journalists who do not have media credentials and a professional affiliation will not receive press passes. However, exceptions will be considered by the Executive Director of the ESA if freelancers belong to the National Association of Science Writers or a similar organization.

Founded in 1889, ESA is a non-profit organization committed to serving the scientific and professional needs of more than 6,000 entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. More information about Entomology 2010 [2].

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