In a 2012 test, more than one-third of all pest-management companies reported bedbug infestations in hospitals. According to a study done by the National Pest Management Association, this is a 6 percent increase over 2011 and more than twice as many reported cases than 2010.

The study also revealed an uptick of bedbug cases within nursing homes. Exterminators dealing with bedbugs in extended living facilities was up almost twice as much as in 2010, to 46 percent.

Although bedbugs have not been found to transmit infections to/between humans, they can leave itchy bites that can lead to secondary infections if scratched. This potential for open wounds has hospital workers on high alert because of the increased potential for staph infections such as MRSA.

Even though environmental service professionals focus heavily on cleanliness and sterilization protocols, bedbugs often walk through the doors on the many patients and visitors moving in and out of the facility. The unwanted insects might also be rolled in as patients are transferred between hospitals and nursing homes.

Although infestations have reportedly increased, MarketWatch reports indicate that hospitals are more likely to see other types of bugs than they are to get bedbugs. That said, if bedbugs become a problem in a hospital, they can be a persistent nuisance.

Bedbugs are not just pestering hospitals. According to Forbes reporting, the insects have increased in a number of facilities. Here’s what pest management companies all over the country are reporting:
• 75 percent have been called to hotels to treat bed bugs
• 47 percent have found bed bugs in college dorms
• 46 percent have been called to nursing homes
• 41 percent have treated schools and day care centers
• 36 percent have been called to office buildings
• 33 percent have found bed bugs in hospitals
• 21 percent have treated taxis, trains, or buses
• 10 percent have been called to movie theaters

According to Forbes, almost 100 percent (99.6 percent, to be exact) of pest management companies reported treating bed bugs, from which we can conclude that the pests are now to be found all over the country. Of these, 72 percent say  the bed bug problems in their region are increasing. And according to the Centers for Disease Control, bed bugs can travel up to 100 feet in a night from their original hiding place.