Bed bugs are a public health pest. While bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease, they do cause a variety of negative physical health, mental health and economic consequences. Some of these effects include:
- Allergic reactions to their bites, which can be severe. Effects ranging from no reaction to a small bite mark to, in rare cases, anaphylaxis (severe, whole-body reaction).
- Secondary infections of the skin from the bite reaction, such as impetigo, ecthyma, and lymphangitis.
- Mental health impacts onpeople living in infested homes. Reported effects include anxiety, insomnia and systemic reactions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a document to highlight emerging public health issues associated with bed bugs in communities throughout the United States.
EPA, in collaboration with CDC and USDA, has defined the concept of a public health pest and has developed a list of pests of significant public health importance.
