It is widely believed by health officials that bed bugs, despite their bloodsucking ways, are just a nuisance pest because they do not transmit diseases like other known bloodsuckers.  Most health officials do not discount the emotional and psychological effects associated with having encounters with bed bugs.  Many people report sleepless nights and anxiety that can last long after the creepy crawlers have left the building.

According to the a report in the Wall Street Journal on September 22, 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently collected data regarding  consumers use of bed bug insecticides.  Information was collected from twelve states with reports of consumer problems coming in from California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington.

In this small collection of states that participated, what was discovered is that 80 consumers have become ill and one person has died due to the misuse of over-the-counter pesticides.  The data collected covers the time period of 2003, which is when the resurgence of bed bugs occurred, through 2010.  According to reports, more than half of the illnesses came from New York and most illnesses occurred in the last few years.  The study revealed that 80% of the illnesses were considered to be mild, which included symptoms of dizziness, breathing problems, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.  The CDC believes that it is likely that there are many other cases that have gone unreported in many states, so the percentages could actually be much higher.

You may read the article here.

Despite the amount of people reportedly becoming ill, the CDC does not consider the issue to be a major public health threat.

Federal health officials are warning consumers to be extremely careful when using over-the-counter pesticides.  Because of the dangers to humans and pets, they are urging consumers to contact a licensed pest control expert instead of attempting to treat bed bug infestations on their own.