Last week the Center for Disease Control and Prevention published results of a peer report. The study was conducted in an impoverished community in Vancouver British Columbia. The study suggests that bed bugs may be playing a role in the transmission of MRSA in inner city populations where bed bugs are a problem.

 

Reported bed bug infestations have been on the rise since the late 1990s. Today more than 95% of pest professionals reported treating bed bugs, up from fewer than 25% of professionals in 2000. With the dramatic resurgence of this pest and lack of basic biological information to date, it is imperative that communities work together to control the spread of bed bug infestations.

 

We've known for some time that bed bugs can carry many scary pathogens but it has never been shown that they actually transmit any to people. (Including this most recent study) Research on bed bugs needs to continue to be a priority. Only recently has research on bed bugs been ramped up. There is still much more scientific research that needs to be done regarding the biology of bed bugs, so that we can learn to control bed bugs safely, efficiently and effectively.