ABSTRACT
Importance and physical description The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has been a parasite of humans for thousands of years. Historically, the bloodsucking parasites were fairly common in human habitations worldwide where the little saying “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” meant something. Bed bugs had nearly disappeared in developing countries until recently, where, in the last decade or so, they have been making a progressively rapid comeback. In many areas, they are now the number one urban pest.1-4 Bed bugs have been suspected in the transmission of more than 40 disease organisms.5 However, at this time bed bugs have never been proven to biologically transmit even one human pathogen.6 Their principal medical impacts are related to itching and inflammation associated with their bites, and emotional and psychological effects on their victims.7
