MIAMI, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- A number of University of Miami students living in McDonald tower were forced out of their dorm rooms by a bed bug infestation, officials say.
Students said they received a notice during their Thanksgiving break notifying them that 19 rooms in the dormitory were infested with bed bugs, while 19 others were being treated as a precaution, WPLG-TV, Miami, reported.
The rooms being treated for bed bugs, which feed on human blood and spread quickly, were located on the fifth, 10th and 12th floors.
Several students are staying at a Holiday Inn during the extermination.
The infestation has caused a lot of panic among those still living in the dormitory.
"I have friends worried and wouldn't let others come in because bed bugs would spread," said Alec Rodriguez.
Several students and parents said they didn't know about the infestation until WPLG-TV contacted them.
"I don't want to know from my kids second hand. We should know directly," said Alec's father, Placido Rodriguez.
The school issued a statement Wednesday night that said: "The university takes this issue very seriously, and a vigorous treatment to eradicate them and prevent future outbreaks is already under way."
