Bed Bugs Linked to Spread of Drug Resistant Bacteria Including MRSA in Recent Report

According to a published report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent increase in infestations of Bed Bugs may carry a more serious health risk. The new concern is based on a recent case in which some Bed Bugs were connected to the carriage of drug resistant bacteria like MRSA.

The report was based on information gathered from some recent cases in which doctors at a local hospital noticed an increase in cases of Bed Bugs in patients from the area, as well as an increase in the cases of MRSA.

To see if there was a correlation between the bug and the MRSA, doctors tested some of the bugs brought in by patients for the bacteria. The results were positive. While MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) can be serious, it is not fully clear whether the bugs carried the bacteria to the patients, or whether the patients may have already had the infection which was then picked up by the bed bugs.

The results are based on a very small sample of data so the CDC is not yet issuing any type of alert, nor does their appear to be any cause for panic at this time. Bed Bugs, small parasites which feed on the blood of humans and animals, are not known to carry disease. More research will be needed to make any conclusions about the recent cases.