Are Bedbugs Contagious?

Their highest bedbugs concentration is usually within about 8 feet of a location where people sleep. They are active (seek a blood meal) at nighttime and just before dawn; they usually bite any exposed area of the skin (for example, the arms, hands, neck, and face).

Bedbugsare parasites (insects) that survive by feeding on blood from humans. They are small, brownish-colored, and live in furniture cracks, beds (especially the mattress, box springs, and other structures such as the bed frame) but also can be found intravelers' suitcases and other items.

• Their highestconcentrationis usually within about 8feetof a location where peoplesleep.
• They are active (seek a blood meal) at nighttime and just before dawn; they usually bite any exposed area of the skin (for example, the arms, hands, neck, and face).
• The bite is usually painless, but eventually, multiple bite sites resemble arashand becomeitchy.
• Bedbugsare not known to readily transmit other diseases, although a few investigators suggest that rarely,hepatitis Band/orChagas diseasemay usebedbugsas a vector for these diseases.

Bedbugsare notcontagiousin the sense that they live on people and are transmitted directly from person to person. What happens is thatbedbugsutilize humans for a blood meal and then leave the person's body. It seems likebedbugsmay becontagiousbecause they can live in some people's clothing, bedding, and furniture. These items, when utilized or transported during travel, can containbedbugswaiting to encounter another warm body for a blood meal. Most experts suggest that the main hosts forbedbugsare humans and indicate that pets likedogsand cats usually are not bitten (not all experts agree on this); however, bedding material used for pets may serve as a site for bedbugs especially if the pet bed is located close to bedding used by pet owners.

• Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a person has been bitten by bedbugs.
• Because the insects leave the person's body after a bite, and bites usually occur when a person is sleeping, many people do not know how they got this "itchyrash."
• In most instances, there are no lab tests used to detect bedbugs; however, simply using a magnifying glass while examining items such as mattresses or clothing (especially the seams in mattresses and cracks in furniture) for bedbugs, their eggs, or droppings is usually the quickest and best way to determine abedbuginfestation.

• Bedbugs are not spread directly from person to person.
• As stated above, they are spread bytravelersand/or people who come in contact with bedding, clothing, or furniture that contains bedbugs.
• Travelers can have bedbugs infest their luggage and thus can transport bedbugs back to their homes.
• Bedbugs, once established in a residence, can travel to reach individuals through ventilation ducts, water pipes, and even gutters.
• 臭虫有even been shown to cross over ceilings and then drop down onto a person to get a blood meal from an individual.

• 臭虫通常需要extermi的服务nator to kill the insects.
• Exterminators may use various methods such as chemical insecticides and/or heat treatments to kill the insects.
• 昆虫被杀死后,咬了,the person is "cured" ofbedbug bites.

• Individuals who have been bitten by bedbugs and who have other diseases that may be rarely transmitted by these insects (for example,hepatitis B) should inform their caregivers and ask for advice about bedbugs being a vector for their disease.
• Similarly, family members of such individuals should contact their physician if they getbedbug bitesas they may be exposed to the disease in a family member.
• Anyone developingshortness of breathand/or swelling of the neck or tongue after abedbug biteshould go to an emergency department.