By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-17 17:53:27 | Updated at 2026-08-19 22:59:58
2 days ago
Pesky bed bugs may not only cause nagging itching but also spread deadly bacteria that evades common treatments.
Just the size of an apple seed, the tiny reddish brown insects lurk between mattress seams and inside the cracks of wooden bed frames, waiting to feed on the blood from sleeping humans.
The bugs pierce the skin and leave behind itchy red welts, which may trigger allergic reactions.
They are not thought to spread diseases from person to person, but researchers now fear they may transmit antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In a resurfaced study, University of South Dakota researchers exposed bed bugs to artificial skin contaminated by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
While generally harmless on the skin, leading to red and swollen boils, if MRSA seeps into the bloodstream through an open wound, it can trigger multi-organ failure and it kills about one in five patients.
And because MRSA does not respond to common antibiotics like methicillin and penicillin, treatment is limited to drugs that may carry a higher risk of side effects and take longer to reduce the infection.
The study found bed bugs could acquire MRSA from just one feeding and spread it to other people in subsequent feedings.
Measuring about the size of an apple seed, bed bugs lurk in mattresses and feed on human blood at night. Resurfaced research suggests they may also spread MRSA bacteria
Author of the 2023 study Jose Pietri, who is now at Purdue University, emphasized that more research is needed to confirm if bed bugs can truly spread MRSA to humans, but notes 'it changes the perspective of what bed bugs do, in terms of public health.'
Experts believe bed bugs originated over 245,000 years ago in caves, living on bat blood before eventually shifting to humans. Ancient records have reported their presence in Egypt and Greece, and European settlers brought them across the Atlantic to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Since then, they have been detected in all 50 states, thriving particularly in hotels, and apartments that see high tourism and foot traffic.
The University of South Dakota study comes as bed bug infestations surge across the US. Experts estimate the bed bug population has increased five-fold over the past decade, with major metro areas bearing the brunt.
Recent data from pest control company Orkin shows Chicago is America's most bed bug-infested city for the fifth year in a row, which experts blame on its dense population, heavy tourist traffic and abundance of multi-unit buildings.
Other major cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis rounded out the top five.
'Bed bugs are resilient pests that can be difficult to control once introduced into a home or hotel room, and they are skilled at hiding in cracks, crevices and personal belongings,' Dr Shannon Sked, Orkin entomologist and national technical director, said.
'A quick inspection of hotels or short-term rentals while traveling, or belongings before unpacking at home, can help travelers reduce the chance of bringing bed bugs home.'
Though the findings on bed bugs and MRSA have sparked concern, experts also believe there is not yet clear evidence that the bugs can spread other diseases from person to person due to their anatomy and digestion.
Because bed bugs are so tiny, it can be difficult to tell if your bed has become home to an infestation.
Subtle clues include small blood stains on pillowcases and sheets, tiny black dots from the bugs' fecal matter, a lingering musty odor and small pale yellow or pearly-white oval eggs, which typically measure about one millimeter.
To prevent them in the first place, experts urge checking suitcases for signs of bed bugs when returning home from a hotel and avoiding placing luggage near or on the bed. Laundry should immediately be washed after returning home.
If you are facing an infestation, Pietri suggests hiring professional exterminators who can spray insecticides, though this can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Microscopic crystal spray called silica dust can also kill bed bugs by absorbing their bodies' moisture.
