Using sniffer dogs to enhance bedbug detection and environmental management in a university hospital

Background Bedbug incidents in healthcare facilities are uncommon, and standardized management protocols are generally lacking.Local problem In 2018, bedbugs were unintentionally introduced into our university hospital through an admitted patient's personal belongings, and 10 bedbugs were identified on the bed, wall, and floor.Methods intervention Following the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's 'Guidelines for Hygiene Management in the Hotel Industry', we implemented carpet replacement and disinfestation by a specialized company. To ensure complete eradication, we additionally used trained sniffer dogs for odour-based detection as a complementary intervention.Results Sniffer dog detection successfully identified no remaining bedbugs after conventional disinfestation and proved useful as an adjunctive method for confirming eradication. The intervention required modest additional costs related to staffing and environmental decontamination.Conclusions The use of sniffer dogs may serve as a practical and cost-conscious tool for early identification and confirmation of bedbug eradication in healthcare settings, underscoring the importance of preventive environmental design and early detection strategies.