When my friend told me his mom’s building in NYC was infested with bed bugs and she was getting a rash from them, I was suprised and concerned. She is 80 and has a lot of health issues already to deal with.
Evidently there have been over 8000 bed bug complaints in NYC in 2008 by June 2008. Other cities are also showing increased problems.

With travel up for the holidays and people going to NYC to stay at hotels and watch the ball drop New Years Eve people are voicing concerns about this issue. It is interesting because in the past they occupied birds’ nests but of course they also evolve and are very comfortable around mattresses, bed frames and piercing the skin of hosts for their blood meals. IF you are at a hotel, do a good search of the bed and below it. You don’t want to transport these critters back to your house!

These bites now become another source of rashes that are a reason to see a dermatologist since most people don’t suspect they could have bed bug bites. There is a very persistent itch which is hard to resist scratching. However, scratching can produce a wound so like other rashes it is important to avoid this. Fortunately, they don’t spread diseases (which for instance, mosquitos can do with malaria).

Nonetheless, it’s important to treat both your skin and your home. Pest control needs to be involved for the home and also the eggs should be eradicated. Be careful if buying used furniture , especially mattresses or beds. Look for dark marks or blood stains.