Bed bugs result in cancelled QF6

[Zanzara]

Interesting beat-up in the Age about a section of Y class needing to be deep cleaned due to an alleged bed bug incident. Flight was cancelled as a consequence. Guess that’s what happens when the great unwashed travel. Yuk.

 

[AIRwin]

VH-ZNI?

 

[Big John]

VH-ZNI?

Possibly. SMH is reporting it to be a 787 aicraft. SMH also says it is was the return flight (FCO - PER) that was cancelled.

My first thought was at least those passengers had access to EU261 (unlike long suffering QF passengers deparing Oz).

 

[Melburnian1]

I already covered this in the Qantas delays and cancellations thread.

What I omitted was how it was QF5 that arrived FCO (Rome) on Saturday 10 October where passengers complained about bed bugs, and were offred antihistamines, but the staff ran out (unsurprisingly since first aid kits would only have a small supply of each medicine).

Yes, it was VH-ZNI. It turned into a QF70XX passenger-carrying flight ex FCO. after the aircraft was fumigated.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I already covered this in the Qantas delays and cancellations thread.

What I omitted was how it was QF5 that arrived FCO (Rome) on Saturday 10 October where passengers complained about bed bugs, and were offred antihistamines, but the staff ran out (unsurprisingly since first aid kits would only have a small supply of each medicine).

Yes, it was VH-ZNI. It turned into a QF70XX passenger-carrying flight ex FCO. after the aircraft was fumigated.

Do you know what they used?
Those things are very hard to kill.
They are mostly resistant to pyrethrins and pyrethroids now.
The only really effective and quick chemical treatments left are neonicotinoids.

 

[DC3]

… a section of Y class needing to be deep cleaned due to an alleged bed bug incident.

 

[SYD]

The only really effective and quick chemical treatments left are neonicotinoids.

Burning is the the most effective treatment but obviously not practical when an entire plane is involved…

 

[Happy Trails]

What do they taste like?
Maybe Neil Perry could use them as a garnish.

 

[DC3]

A number of insects are sometimes misidentified as bed bugs, including carpet beetles, fleas, coach-roach nymphs, spider beetles, booklice, ticks and others.

Bed bugs have six legs (if you are counting) and short, four-segmented antennae. They are wingless but are good crawlers. Adults may grow up to about 5mm in length and after feeding on your blood become reddish-brown in colour. Blood is needed for development of the eggs.

The insect’s bite and its saliva causes itching and allergies. Their bites leave red, itchy bumps or welts on your skin.

You may see rust-colored blood spots on mattresses and sheets.

Bed bugs are experts at hiding. They spread by getting into the seams and folds of beds, bedding, luggage, overnight bags, folded clothes, furniture, and anywhere else they can hide. Many people do not realize that they can be transporting bed bugs and infecting areas as they travel.

You may find pale, translucent, empty exoskeletons (shells) that nymphs leave behind as they grow. These are not live bed bugs, but the empty exoskeleton (much like a crab shedding its shell).

Here’s an enlarged image of the freshly-fed adult:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Possibly. SMH is reporting it to be a 787 aicraft. SMH also says it is was the return flight (FCO - PER) that was cancelled.

My first thought was at least those passengers had access to EU261 (unlike long suffering QF passengers deparing Oz).

Disagree with @Zanzara that this is a ‘beat-up’, I think bed bugs are a serious issue, with major complications and inconvenience to have to get rid of them if you’re an affected passenger.

As for EU261… i wonder if (a) this are ‘extraordinary’ circumstances (probably not) but (b) you certainly wouldn’t want affected passengers travelling on the next available service, spreading the bugs!

 

[Quickstatus]

Bed bugs are a problem in Europe - especially the warmer parts. Part of the problem is pesticide resistance

Fumigation may not work. The eggs will hatch a week later

 

[PERLHR]

Qantas flight grounded after bedbug outbreak

The flight from Italy to Australia was cancelled after passengers on the plane's previous journey complained of bug bites.

www.bbc.com

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Bed bugs are a problem in Europe - especially the warmer parts. Part of the problem is pesticide resistance

Fumigation may not work. The eggs will hatch a week later

so ZNI needs to be retired and put in the desert?

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes, it was VH-ZNI. It turned into a QF70XX passenger-carrying flight ex FCO. after the aircraft was fumigated.

Are we certain that QF7006 carried the QF6 passengers?...

I wonder if there were any biosecurity issues arriving into Australia - were the "bed bugs" positively identified?

so ZNI needs to be retired and put in the desert?

No, they will just need to ensure that the fumigations actually worked


In any case, It is impossible to ensure bed bugs will never happen again.
BA and TK had bed bugs issue previously. Likely other airlines also.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

No, they will just need to ensure that the fumigations actually worked

In any case, It is impossible to ensure bed bugs will never happen again.
BA and TK had bed bugs issue previously. Likely other airlines also.

The other reason why fumigation may not work is that bedbugs are highly mobile, experts at hiding, and can survive for days without a host.
So the bugs and their eggs could be hidden deep in nooks and crannies on the aircraft.
Since heat treatment is impractical, the other solution would be to leave the plane empty for over a week.
Enough time for all the eggs to hatch and the nymphs to die. Without a host to feed on they won't be able to la their own eggs.
But of course the cost of leaving a 789 empty for a week would be phenomenal.

Oh one crazy idea: take the plane up to 40,000 feet and depressurise the passenger cabin.
But I just checked and intense cold wold take 4 days to kill them.

 

[Quickstatus]

Oh one crazy idea: take the plane up to 40,000 feet and depressurise the passenger cabin.

Or fly the aircraft at -50⁰C - the usual outside temperature for a few hours.
AKA put the airplane in the the freezer.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Or fly the aircraft at -50⁰C - the usual outside temperature for a few hours.
AKA put the airplane in the the freezer.

That was my idea but research suggests it would take 4 days.
Not even the A350-1000ULRs can fly for 4 days!

 

[Quickstatus]

4 days!

Ah ok thanks, I thought a few hours would suffice.

 

[clifford]

That was my idea but research suggests it would take 4 days.
Not even the A350-1000ULRs can fly for 4 days!

Just park it in the Arctic or Antarctic for a few days.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

At $12.3 million a day in lost revenue alone, unlikely.