Bedbugs Can Carry MRSA

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Bedbugs can be both a nuisance and a pain to travelers and homeowners. But scientists now say the bugs can do a lot more than just leave itchy red welts on your skin.

Researchers in Vancouver found bedbugs on a patient that carried methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The MRSA bacterium is typically resistant to many antibiotics.

In addition, bedbugs on two other patients were found to have vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, or VRE, which also is resistant to some antibiotics.

While no one has been infected with the diseases from a bedbug bite, scientists said it is possible. For example, researchers said that scratching a bedbug bite to an open wound could allow the bacteria into your body.