There is one thing that a lot of people are concerned about lately.  And that is the hazards of bed bugs – in other words can bed bugs transmit disease?

Are There Hazards Of Bed Bugs

The answer to the above questions is no – and maybe.  So far there is no known case where a bedbug has infected a blood host with a disease.

There is still some question about whether a bedbug that feeds on one person with some sort of disease.  Then immediately feeds on someone else – whether the second person could become infected.

This is probably not very likely.  Because the bugs tend to feed only on one person as long as they are available.

Another question is whether a person could become infected from the infected blood that is carried by a crushed bug.

Again, not very likely.  The second person would need to have a cut or opening where the infected blood could enter the body.

Hazards Of Bed Bugs 

For the most part most health officials look at bed bugs more as a nuisance rather than a health hazard.

But recently more and more officials are realizing that there is also lot of stress.  Having these bugs eating on you every night could be a problem.

But there is another, more serious theory that was put forward recently that is more disturbing.  It concerns the question on whether the bugs could carry dangerous bacteria with them.

Could Bed Bugs Carry Bacteria

This new theory involves the vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) bacteria.  This bacteria will often cause serious hospital infections and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

These infections can trigger lethal reactions in people that have weakened immune systems. These problems are highly resistant to antibiotics.  This is one of the most urgent threats to our health.

According to a recent paper – three patients that were hospitalized in Vancouver, Canada carried bed bugs.  Upon testing it was found that they carried these strains of drug resistant bacteria.

How You Could Become Infected

The theory is that the bugs wouldn’t nescessarily be infectious themselves. Rather they would rather be carriers that took the bacteria to anyone they were going to feed upon.

The US CDC believes that MSRA and VRE are caused by crowding and poor hygiene.  This results in breaks in the skin which then allow the bacteria to enter and infect the body.

So, there are two ways that you might become infected.

The first way would be if you were bit by one of these bugs.  Although it varied from person to person, a common reaction to a bite is that it becomes itchy.  If you were bitten and scratched the area around the bite you could irritate the skin.  Enough that there would be openings for the bacteria to infect you.

The other area of concern is that just the bite itself might be large enough to allow an infection.

Who Is Most At Risk

Although the transmission of these bacteria and their associated potential for disease should be most concerning to anyone.  People who have compromised immune systems would be most vulnerable.  It would likely also be dangerous for young babies.  They haven’t yet had a chance to develop their immune system.

Bed Bugs – What You Can Do About Them

There is one thing that you can do to protect yourself from this potential problem.  It’s to make sure that you don’t have any bed bugs infesting your home.

You could find some bugs or hear that there are infestations in the area of your home.  If so you need to be pro-active and try to make sure that they never get into your home.  Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs

The sooner you treat an infestation the easier it is to get rid of them.  The longer you wait the larger the infestation will get.  This makes it harder to get rid of them.

Use An Exterminator

If you have an infestation the first thing that you should do is see if who will pay for an exterminator.  If you own your own home or Condo this could make it your responsibility.  But if you rent your Landlord could be responsible.

Even if you use an exterminator there are a lot of things that you can do to get the most out of the cost.

  Read More About Who Is Responsible Here

Kill Them Yourself

The smaller the infestation the better chance that you might be able to exterminate the bugs yourself.  Or you might want to avoid the harsh chemicals that exterminators use and use Natural Methods.

Bedbugs, unless it’s an unusually large infestation, are going to be located around the place(s) that you sleep.  So, one thing that you can do to get immediate relief from bed bugs is to make your bed into a fort.  Doing this makes it impossible for them to get to you.

Here are the steps that I have used several times to get rid of the bugs without hiring an exterminator.

Conclusion

It should be emphasized that there is no conclusive proof right now that bed bugs can carry or cause disease.

But the bottom line is that they are still an extreme hassle and discomfort. Just the thought that you are being bitten each night can be psychologically a problem.

So the best thing that you can do is to avoid getting an infestation in the first place.  Make sure that when you travel you take steps to avoid bringing any home. Here are some important tips when traveling.

But if you do get an infestation make sure that you take steps as soon as you can.  The problem is only going to get worse if you try to avoid it.

This site contains tips and ideas that you can use.  Whether you hire an exterminator or choose to exterminate the bugs yourself.  It also has numerous links to the types of materials and products that will help you.

They will helpmake sure to keep bed bugs out of your home, or if you have them get them back out.