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A year-long infestation of bedbugs aboard the nuclear submarine USS Connecticut has involved "all feasible measures" for eradication by Navy entomologists.
The presence of bedbugs, parasites which hide in daylight and bite exposed skin to draw blood of victims in darkness, was first observed aboard the submarine after its participation in ICEX 2020 exercises in the Arctic Ocean in March 2020.
A bite from the apple seed-sized insect can cause symptoms ranging from a rash to a severe allergic reaction.
"People were getting eaten alive in their racks[sleeping berths]," an unidentified petty officer told Navy Times, which first reported the story earlier this week. The petty officer added that the infestation spread to several enlisted berthing spaces and at least one officer state room.
The issue was first formally reported to the Navy in December 2020, but the presence of bedbugs was not officially established until Feb. 19, 2021, Naval Submarine Forces Pacific said.
Daily inspections led to dispersal, by Navy entomologists, of diatomaceous dust, an organic spray meant to draw the insects out of hiding. The scientists later certified that "all feasible measures have been taken" to control the problem, Military.com reported.
Mattresses, linens and privacy curtains in the vessel's berthing areas have been replaced, and additional measures will be taken since submarine's arrival at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, Wash., its homeport.
Members of the 100-person crew have complained of lack of sleep, in addition to the pain of bedbug bites.
"They are really frustrated and feel like they have been let down by the Navy," Jeffery Rachall, who served aboard the submarine and has kept in contact with the current crew since his 2018 retirement from the Navy, told the Seattle Times.
"They are complaining about a lack of sleep. They itch, and the bugs are crawling all over," Rachall said.
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