On this page: Background | Educational Resources | Setting-Specific Resources | Patient Resources | Data & Reporting
Background
Bed bugs are small insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. Bed bugs are not known to spread disease, but they may cause itching, which can lead to skin infection.
Scabies is caused by a parasite (mite) that burrows into the skin, causing intense itching and a skin rash. Scabies is usually spread by direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact. It can sometimes be spread by contact with clothing, towels, or bedding used by a person with scabies. Crusted (Norwegian) scabies is a more severe form of scabies and is very contagious. Without proper infection prevention strategies, scabies can spread in nursing homes and may cause outbreaks.
Educational Resources
VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: The HAI/AR team is available to conduct a no-cost, non-regulatory, onsite visit to help a facility identify its infection prevention strengths and areas of opportunity.
- About Bed Bugs – symptoms, exposure risks, how they spread, how to reduce risk
- Bed Bugs – Tools and Resources
- About Scabies – symptoms, risk factors, how it spreads, prevention, diagnosis, treatment
- Isolation Precautions Guidelines
- Standard Precautions for the Care of All Patients in All Healthcare Settings
- Appendix A: Types and Durations of Precautions
- Project Firstline: CDC’s Project Firstline provides innovative and accessible infection control education for all frontline healthcare workers.
Environmental Protection Agency
- Bed bugs website – learn about bed bugs, tips for getting rid of bed bugs
Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group
- Virginia Infection Prevention and Control Training Alliance (VIPTA) - search the education and training resource library for resources related to bed bugs or scabies
VCU Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center
- Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center (VIPTC) - courses and trainings related to infection prevention and control
Setting-Specific Resources
Patient Resources
- Scabies Fact Sheet (VDH)
Data & Reporting
Virginia Communicable Disease & Outbreak Reporting Requirements
For both bed bugs and scabies: individual cases or outbreaks are not explicitly reportable per the Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control. However, we encourage facilities to contact your local health department if you are experiencing an increase in cases and additional resources are needed.