Can Bed Bugs Be Spread From Person to Person?

Bed bugs are insects that can infest your home, leaving tiny bites on the skin and laying eggs in mattresses, floors, walls and furniture. Although an untreated infestation can spread from one household to another, a bite from a bed bug is not contagious.

Description

• Bed bugs are tiny, reddish brown insects that infest various areas of the home and feed on the blood of humans or animals. These pests appear at night and pierce the skin undetected, leaving red itchy welts on unsuspecting sleepers.

Behavior

• During the daytime, bed bugs hide in small spaces where humans sleep. At night, the bug emerges to feed, and then retreats to a hiding place when its flat body becomes engorged. Bed bugs do not stay on the body and are not transferred from person to person through physical contact.

Distribution

• Bed bugs are commonly spread through the use of secondhand furniture and by staying in locations that are frequented by many people, such as hotels and dormitories. The bugs can migrate to different rooms in the building or nest in furniture, luggage and other items that are transported from place to place.