Austin, TX, June 7, 2011 -- A study released today found a scientific link demonstrating that bed bugs are capable of carrying and exposing disease to humans. A related study also found that heat or structural pasteurization is the most effective treatment to kill microbial pathogens carried by bed bugs.

Dr. Sean Abbott, one of the nation’s leading microbiologists, reported the results of a study today confirming that bed bugs are carriers of dangerous pathogens. Many of the bacteria detected naturally occur in the intestines of humans and other animals suggesting that disease organisms like E.coli and other enteric bacteria can be transmitted by bedbugs.

Dr. Abbott stated, “After careful laboratory analysis and a two-year study of bed bugs, we found that bed bugs are carrying many dangerous pathogens such as the Superbug Staph. aureus, the organism that causes serious secondary infections.”

Recently, Canadian scientists detected drug-resistant staph bacteria in bedbugs. The findings caused quite a stir in the scientific community when the admittedly small study was released May 11, 2011 by Emerging Infectious Diseases, a publication of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tuesday, at international Indoor Air conference and foremost assembly of IAQ researchers and microbiologists in Austin, Texas, Dr. Abbott’s conclusions reveal that there is a solution to both problems simultaneously; structural pasteurization. The study, conducted by Natural Link Mold Lab, examined the efficacy of high temperature pasteurization of buildings for reducing levels of viable bacteria in indoor environments employing both laboratory and field data.

“Evidence is mounting that bedbugs carry disease causing bacteria like ‘superbug’ Staph. Aureus,” said Dr. Abbott. “The good news is that bedbugs can’t build up resistance to heat the way MRSA strains have developed resistance to antibiotics. The careful application of heat can end the threat. Properly applied filtered heat kills both bedbug adults and their eggs which have been shown to be particularly resistant to pesticides. Killing bacteria is concurrent with eradication of the bedbugs.”