see also:

• insect bites and stings
• wikipedia
• http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html

• bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are a small (1-7mm), slim, flat, parasitic insects that feed solely on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep and are a global issue, particularly in tourist accommodation rooms, and whilst annoying, fortunately, are not known to transmit disease although people can have allergic reactions
• they can survive several months without a blood meal
• their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found
• they tend to live within 3m of where people sleep and hide in daytime in mattress seams, behind wallpaper, etc
• they can travel by hiding in suitcases, folded clothes, etc
• when they bite, they inject an anesthetic and an anticoagulant that prevents a person from realizing they are being bitten

• presence of exoskeletons after molting
• bed bugs in mattress seams and sheets
• rusty–colored blood spots on mattress due to their blood-filled fecal material
• sweet musty odour

• bite marks on any part of the body including even face while sleeping
• bite marks take one to several days and even up to 14 days to manifest
• bite marks are slightly swollen and red are usually itchy
• some people do not develop symptoms from bites

• avoid scratching
• antiseptics to prevent secondary infection
• antihistamines if annoyingly itchy

• look for signs of infestation before sleeping in a lodging
• if detected, inform the landlord so they can attempt eradication with insecticides