Paris’ struggle with bedbug outbreak; authorities issue public warning

A bedbug outbreak that is “widespread” in Paris’s public spaces has been confirmed by French authorities. As more people are expected to flock to the city the following year for the Olympics, worries about the effects on health and safety are growing.

Hospitals, movie theatres and public transportation have all reported bedbug sightings. Tourists have shared videos of the bloodsucking insects they have encountered in the Paris Metro, high-speed trains, and the Charles de Gaulle airport on social media.

Emmanuel Gregoire, the deputy mayor of Paris, wrote on X on 29 September, “Faced with a bedbug infestation, coordinated measures are needed that bring together health authorities, communities and all relevant stakeholders to prevent the risk and act effectively.”

According to Reuters, the deputy mayor also sent a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stating, “The state urgently needs to put an action plan in place against this scourge as France is preparing to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024.”

The first signs of bedbugs in Paris

Over the summer, internet allegations about a bedbug infestation at movie theatres started to appear. They submitted pictures of their bug bites to X after seeing a movie. Locals and tourists have more recently found bedbugs in hotels, on fast trains, in the metro, and at airports.

A bedbug infestation was also a concern during the recent Paris Fashion Week, which ended on Tuesday, October 3.

It is not a new issue for France. Prior to becoming practically extinct in the 1950s, bedbugs were much more prevalent in France. But in the 1990s, there was a spike as more people could travel internationally. The government began its anti-bedbug initiatives three years ago, including a telephone hotline and educational website, as the infestation was on the rise. An estimated 11% of French families had dealt with bedbugs at some point between 2017 and 2022, according to a report from the French government agency ANSES from last year. The organisation also noted that such incidences were unrelated to household income.

How to deal with bedbugs?

Ingesting both human and animal blood, bedbugs. Bedbugs are wingless, reddish-brown, and the size of an apple seed. Nymphs, or juvenile bedbugs, are tiny and can range in colour from clear to yellowish.

All around the world, there are infestations, although they are most common in places where people sleep, such as the seams of mattresses, bed frames, fissures, and curves, or behind wallpaper. 

Due to their ability to squeeze through seams in clothing and luggage, bedbugs are frequently seen in areas where there is a lot of travel. In any case, hygiene is not a deciding issue. Although the bugs are not known for spreading diseases, they can irritate the skin. Those who have bedbug bite symptoms should wash their clothes and materials in hot water and get pest control professionals to disinfect their home.

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