The New Fashion Bug

Breaking news from the fashion industry: The Juicy Couture store in New York City was closed owing to a bed bug infestation!

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are historically associated with squalor and poor hygiene. Obviously, having cooties in the couture does not jibe well with a fashion house selling high end merchandise. This is traumatic for both retailers and shoppers.

Anyone in tune with the news is well aware of the re-emergence of bed bugs across hotels in the USA. Bed bugs bite and feed off of human blood. This usually produces some form of skin reaction and irritation/itching.  As bed bugs are blood feeders, there are concerns about the transmission of infectious diseases. Theoretically, bed bugs could transmit hepatitis B, C, HIV, Lyme disease and other blood borne pathogens. To date, however, there is not a single proven case of an infectious disease passed on to humans by bed bugs. A nice review of this nefarious insect was recently published.

The real trauma is one of physical (itching) and psychological discomfort along with lost revenues in the case of retailers and hoteliers. This definitely gives new meaning to the term Fashion Bug.