New York City's Subway System Is Facing An Unprecedented Bedbug Problem

A terrifying report from the New York Daily News claims that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's subway bedbug issue is more widespread than officials are willing to admit.

Unnamed "transit sources" told the Daily News that there were at least 21 reported bedbug sightings on NYC subways in August, which a transportation union official said is unprecedented.

"We've never had sightings to this magnitude," Joe Costales, a chairman with Transport Workers Union Local 100, told the Daily News. "... It's no longer an isolated scenario. It's throughout the system."

Here's the breakdown of sightings:

• Nine sightings on N trains
• Three sightings on Q trains
• Two sightings on 6 trains
• One sighting each on the 3, 4, 5, and L trains

Bedbugs have also been found in MTA crew rooms in Brooklyn and Queens.

The prospect of a bedbug-infested subway system is horrifying and the problem seems to be more widespread than originally thought, but the MTA points out that 5.8 million people ride the subway each weekday and there are 8,000 trains in the system.

An MTA spokesman said the MTA has "found and treated" bedbugs on 16 trains, but that no actual infestations have been discovered. The agency is also bringing in a bedbug expert to review the issue.

The first reported sighting happened at the beginning of August when four N-line trains were taken out of service to be fumigated. Days later, bedbugs were reported on a 5 train.

The bugs have been found in the seat cushions in the cabs used by conductors. Bedbugs have also been reported in passenger areas.