6. Can bed bugs pass diseases?

Bed bugs seem to posses all of the necessary prerequisites for being capable of passing disease from one host to another.

To date there are at least 27 known pathogens (some estimates are as high as 41) that are capable of living inside a bed bug or on its mouthparts.

To date there have been no known cases of bed bugs passing disease from host to host. Extensive testing has been done in laboratory settings that also conclude that bed bugs are unlikely to pass disease from one person to another.

There is however, the possibilty that the saliva of the bed bug may cause anaphylactic shock in a small percentage of people.

It is also possible that sustained feeding by bed bugs may lead to anemia.