Jeff, there is one type of bug thing that spreads:
scabies ...pronounced :skay-beez: ...they burrow under your skin. They're a type of mites.
A guy I used to work with a long time ago got an infestation of them on his arms. I forget what the remedy was, but you can get rid of them.
From Wiki: Scabies, also known as sarcoptic mange and colloquially known as the itch, is a contagious ectoparasitic skin infection characterized by superficial burrows and intense pruritus (itching). It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. The word scabies itself is derived from the Latin word (scabere) for "scratch". More severe forms of scabies include crusted scabies and Norwegian scabies.
More (with photos... some are very scary) here:
Scabies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia