Aside from eating blood from hosts, bed bugs are known carriers and transmitters of various diseases.

Aside from eating blood from hosts, bed bugs are known carriers and transmitters of various diseases.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Sometimes
• D. Not for sure

Answer: (B)

Bed bugs feed on blood, but they are not proven to spread diseases to humans. The important idea here is the difference between carrying something pathogens and actually transmitting it to a person. Bed bugs may pick up pathogens on or in their bodies, but there is no solid evidence that their bites reliably transmit diseases to people in real-world settings. The health concerns from bed bugs come from the bites themselves—itching, potential allergic reactions, and the risk of secondary skin infections from scratching—rather than from disease transmission. Public health authorities consistently state there’s no demonstrated disease risk from bed bugs, so the statement that they are known carriers and transmitters of various diseases isn’t supported.

Bed bugs feed on blood, but they are not proven to spread diseases to humans. The important idea here is the difference between carrying something pathogens and actually transmitting it to a person. Bed bugs may pick up pathogens on or in their bodies, but there is no solid evidence that their bites reliably transmit diseases to people in real-world settings. The health concerns from bed bugs come from the bites themselves—itching, potential allergic reactions, and the risk of secondary skin infections from scratching—rather than from disease transmission. Public health authorities consistently state there’s no demonstrated disease risk from bed bugs, so the statement that they are known carriers and transmitters of various diseases isn’t supported.