Victoria General Hospital bedbug infestation began Saturday

This week's bedbug problem at Halifax's Victoria General Hospital was first detected on Saturday and even though the affected beds were cleaned and fumigated on Sunday, the pests were not eradicated, CBC News has learned.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority had said the beds were infested on Wednesday. However, the health authority now confirms the problem began on the fifth floor over the weekend.

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"It is not unexpected that it does show up in hospitals," says Brian Butt, a health-services director with the health authority.

He said he wasn't sure why incorrect information was released about the situation, and it was likely "not fully communicated, even internally."

Here is a timeline:

• A staff member discovered bugs late Saturday in Unit 5B, which includes urology and ophthalmology.
• Four patients were moved out of the ward and it was fumigated and cleaned.
• Patients were relocated to Unit 3B, which houses oral, ear, nose and throat surgery.
• Preparations were made to move patients back to 5B on Monday and more bugs were sighted.
• Unit cleaned again. 
• More sightings, more cleaning.
• Bugs found on 3B, which has since been fumigated and cleaned.

The beds in Unit 5B and Unit 3B are now clear, Butt said. It is likely the outbreak on the third floor originated with a patient from the fifth.

"We did relocate patients on Tuesday evening to 3B. We believe the bugs probably travelled with the patients from that room down to 3B. We are getting all patients's belonging professionally cleaned before we send them home," Butt said.

Between six and eight patients were affected, he said. 

"[The bed bugs are] not related to the age of the building or how we're managing the housekeeping service end of it," Butt said.

"They happen. They're in the environment. They get trafficked into us, most likely, and we deal with them and it's done."

A single patient is believed to have brought in the bed bugs, he said. That person is still in hospital, he said. 

Patients and staff at the site find the news of the outbreak disturbing.

Some staff arriving at work Thursday morning told CBC News they were unhappy that the pests were discovered on the third and fifth floors of the building on the weekend. Patients had to be moved and the eight beds closed for cleaning.

A woman who brought her mother to the hospital Thursday morning for kidney dialysis said she was "disgusted" by the announcement.

"I called before I came in to see if it was in the dialysis unit, but no, we were safe there," Judy Metlej said. "It's bad enough she comes three days a week for four hours a day and then to find out it's dirty. That's disgusting."

Metlej said more needs to be done to improve sanitary conditions at the hospital. It is isn't the first time bed bugs have turned up at the VG, she said.

In July, one of the rooms in the dialysis unit was infested and had to be cleaned and fumigated.

"This is our hospital. We don't expect it to be dirty with bedbugs. It's just gross. Where did it come from? Who brought it in?" said Metlej.