HIV has never
been found in wild bedbugs. HIV survived for 8 days
after experimental feeding, with no replication in bedbugs,
and has never been observed in bedbug feces.
Transmission assays from bedbugs to laboratory animals
failed, despite very high virus concentrations. Thus, even
though acquisition and persistence attest to partial
vectorial competence, no evidence supports that such
transmission may occur or has ever occurred. Therefore,
to date, HIV is no longer a valid candidate pathogen for
bedbug–borne transmission