The French government announced on Friday it will take action to combat the scourge of bedbugs, which have appeared on public transport, cinemas and hospitals in Paris in recent weeks.
Tourists shared videos on their social networks of these insects in the Paris metro, high-speed trains and even at Charles de Gaulle airport.
The Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, said on Friday on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that he will bring together public transport companies next week “to inform them of the measures taken (…) to reassure and protect the population” .
Bed bugs, which almost completely disappeared from everyday life in the 1950s, have reappeared in recent decades, mainly due to high population density and the increase in public transport.
It is believed that 10% of French homes have suffered from bed bugs in recent years, often requiring pest control measures that are expensive and often have to be repeated.
On Thursday, the Paris Chamber asked President Emmanuel Macron’s government for help in combating the scourge, calling for the creation of a special force.
The parliamentary leader of the far-left party France Insubmissa (LFI, after its French acronym), Mathilde Panot, demanded this Friday an urgent plan to recognize these insects “as a public health problem”.
The French Health Agency has recommended that people check their hotel beds when traveling and be careful about bringing second-hand furniture or mattresses into their homes.
Bed bug bites cause irritation, blisters or large rashes and can cause intense itching or allergic reactions. They can also cause mental confusion, insomnia, anxiety and depression.
According to French authorities, the appearance of these insects, which can grow up to seven millimeters in length, is not related to hygienic habits.
Source: DN
