A passenger report of bedbugs has led the Chicago Transit Authority to pull a rail car off the Red Line for inspection, a CTA spokeswoman said Tuesday.
“CTA procedure is to pull the car from service and thoroughly inspect it,” spokeswoman Irene Ferradaz said.
Ferradaz said a contract exterminator would inspect the car for bugs, and even if it does not find any the car will get “general preventative treatment” and be scrubbed top to bottom before being put back in service, Ferradaz said.
A rider reported Monday on the Reddit website that his seat was infested with bedbugs. The rider, who was going south toward the Loop, reported capturing two of the insects in a sealed bag and taking them to a doctor, who confirmed they were bedbugs.
Ferradaz said the agency places a “high priority” on cleanliness and buses and trains are cleaned daily before and after each trip and at the end of each day. Vehicles also receive deep cleanings on a regular basis, she said.
In January, for the fourth year in a row, Chicago topped the list of 50 “bedbug cities,” according to pest control company Orkin.
The list ranks cities by the number of bedbug treatments Orkin serviced after detecting bedbugs from January through December 2015.
According to Orkin, bedbugs have been found in upscale homes and hotels, movie theaters, schools and in public transit. Bedbugs can travel in luggage and other personal belongings.
Some people respond to bites by swelling and itchy red welts.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @marywizchicago
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