What is the health risk to children from bed bugs in schools?

The health risk to children from bed bugs in schools is generally considered to be low. Bed bugs are primarily an annoyance rather than a direct cause of significant illness. While they can cause itching and discomfort due to their bites, which may lead to secondary infections from scratching, they are not known to transmit diseases to humans. In school settings, infestations might create stress and anxiety for students and families, but the overall health impact is minimal compared to other environmental health risks.

The concern around bed bugs predominantly revolves around their ability to spread and the difficulty of eliminating them once they infest an area, which can create a distressing situation. However, unlike other pests, such as mosquitoes or ticks, which can carry and transmit pathogens, bed bugs do not pose an immediate severe health threat. This context supports the assessment of the health risk as low.