I’ve been talking about bed bugs for over 25 years—long before they trended on social media or became common in public health discussions. Back in the late ’90s, most people thought bed bugs were a myth or a problem of the past. But I was already raising alarms.
As a trainer for MassHousing, Boston Housing Authority, and other public and private organizations, I stood in front of rooms packed with housing officials, pest control pros, and concerned citizens. The resurgence was obvious—and those who paid attention could see it coming.
Now, decades later, we understand bed bug behavior. We’ve mapped how they spread through apartment buildings, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, and college dorms. But one question still comes up in every lecture:
Do Bed Bugs Spread Disease?
This question matters—a lot. For all the fear, stigma, and stress they cause, most people still aren’t sure if bed bugs are just annoying—or truly dangerous.
The Short Answer? Not Like Mosquitoes or Ticks.
As of now, there is no strong evidence that bed bugs transmit diseases to humans the way mosquitoes or ticks do. Yes, bed bugs can carry over 40 pathogens—like MRSA, Chagas, and Hepatitis B—but that doesn’t mean they transmit them.
Why not? It comes down to biology:
- Their mouthparts aren’t structured to transfer pathogens into the bloodstream.
- Their feeding behavior—piercing and sucking blood every few days—limits pathogen transmission between hosts.
- Even in controlled lab studies, disease transmission is rare and difficult to replicate.
The Real Health Risks of Bed Bug Bites
Just because bed bugs don’t spread infectious diseases doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
Bed bug bites can cause serious secondary infections, especially in:
- Children
- Seniors
- Immunocompromised individuals
- People living in overcrowded or unsanitary housing
Repeated scratching from itchy bites leads to open wounds. Without proper care, this can spiral into cellulitis, impetigo, or MRSA. I’ve seen tenants hospitalized—not because of the bugs, but because of what happens after the bite.
The public health conversation needs to evolve—from asking about disease transmission to addressing the real-world consequences of infestations.
The Psychological Toll of Living With Bed Bugs
If there’s one part of the bed bug epidemic we consistently ignore, it’s the mental health impact.
Bed bugs don’t just cause itchy bites. They cause:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Sleep deprivation and chronic insomnia
- Depression
- PTSD-like symptoms
I’ve met:
- Single mothers sleeping in cars with their kids
- Elderly tenants too afraid to report infestations
- People throwing away every piece of furniture they own
Living with bed bugs can break you down. And the effects are worse for those in low-income housing, where support is limited, stigma is high, and infestations go untreated.
Time to Treat Bed Bugs Like a Public Health Crisis
We need to stop minimizing the damage of bed bugs just because they don’t spread HIV or malaria.
That’s the wrong standard.
We need:
- Holistic bed bug management plans
- Integration with social services and mental health resources
- Health departments to treat bed bugs as a quality-of-life threat, not a nuisance
- More research into the psychological and secondary health impacts of infestations
Because here’s the truth: living with bed bugs is a health crisis—just not the kind people expect.