They may carry diseases but they are not known to transmit any diseases to humans.
They are not "disgusting" -- they can invade any home anywhere, 5-star hotels, then travel home in luggage. They don't discriminate between rich and poor, cleanliness and dirt, male and female ... I have been doing A LOT of Internet research on them and every site contradicts what every other site says, about finding them, getting rid of them, getting rid of you bed and bedclothes and your own clothes ...
I had been suspecting them because an apartment down the hall had them. Maintenance got in a special extermination company but kept it a secret -- would not tell us what it was about.
Months later, I start waking up with weird bites, finally figure out it is not outdoor bugs, so this morning I sprayed the mattress with a bleach solution and later found two dead bugs that look like bed bugs. Now i have to show them to maintenance tomorrow and see what treatment they will do.
I am worried about my cats. Where will I take them if they do the high-heat treatment? I will have to leave, I can hang out downstairs, but my cats can't.
I had enough stress over Christmas. I need a break from stress, and now instead I get this.