Eek bedbugs!

[Kit]

One single positively-identified bedbug, to be precise, found in my daughter's room. We've been here for 12 years and never found one before. 3 possible sources for our little visitor: 1. We had to move into rented accommodation for 2 months while work was done on the house, and moved back again 10 weeks ago. 2. A fortnight ago littl'un spent a week in hospital. 3. Bag of clothes given to littl'un by a friend whose daughter has outgorwn them; have been in friend's wardrobe for months.
No sign of bites.
Environmental Health can't come out for a week. Given the above evidence, what are the chances that it's a single bug versus an infestation, ie how much do I panic until EH can get rid of them? Odd question I know, but I'm very twitchy about insects invading my house and it's keeping me awake just thinking about it... ugh!

[treaclefight]

dont panic you will not be eaten alive in the next week put the bedsheets on the hottest wash your machine will do, should ease your mind a little i understand your concern about bugs, my daughter's school has a headlice epidemic, but trust me dont panic my grandfather left hospital and later found out he had bed bugs too but it was all dealt with without any fuss and no-one made him wear a label saying he was a leper or anything honest

[treaclefight]

apologies for the lack of punctuation :-)

[chijiki]

Keep calm Kit. Bed bugs are more common than most people would care to admit. You have to remember that they don't only inhabit beds but can (and do) live in the structure of your house as well as the furniture and furnishings. Education and understanding are both required. You should do a google search for bed bugs and then do a little reading. Here's a link to a very informative site; http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html You will see that you have to do more than wash your sheets. There are plenty of products available to deal with these little critters so arm yourself with some more info and attack the room systematically. It may be good news that you've only found one, hopefully it was a bachelor.

[comloulou]

I think the bug specified is a 'bedbug' which is bigger and uglier than a flea!

[Kit]

Thanks for the reassurance, folks, I actually knew a fair bit about the little blighters having Googled (but hadn't come across chijiki's suggested site - thanks!)
I guess what I was looking for was some indication as to the size of the problem, ie I was always told that fleas never come singly, if you find one then you blitz the place because there are invariably more, but wasn't sure if this was true for bedbugs. Comloulou's right, the bedbug (or wall louse, Cimex lectularius) is a very specific type of creepy crawly - microscopic dust mites are one thing, but bloodsucking brutes a quarter of an inch long are something else entirely! Definitely bigger and uglier than fleas.
I shall take everyone's advice and try not to panic too much - and await the inevitable headlice, which are doing the rounds at my daughter's nursery too!