France is facing a bed bug crisis. The pests are spreading across the country and infesting homes, public transport, and other public places. Paris, the country’s capital city, seems to be the most affected, where the bed bugs have been spotted on trains, buses, cinemas, and even hospitals.
Multiple reports in the European country have captured citizens lamenting about the bed bug plague. Travellers have posted photos and videos of bed bugs on the Paris Métro, high-speed trains, and at Charles de Gaulle airport.
The bed bug crisis in Paris is coming only eight months to the 2024 Summer Olympics billed for Paris.
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Bed bugs are tiny insects believed by many Nigerians to infest only unhygienic environments. Bed bug bites are known to cause skin rashes and allergic symptoms.
On Friday, Clement Beaune, the French transport minister talked about further moves to tackle the blood sucking pests.
The minister made the announcement in response to pressure by the trade unions in the country as videos of bed bugs spotted in public places in the country flooded social media.
“You have to understand that in reality no one is safe, obviously there are risk factors but in reality, you can catch bed bugs anywhere and bring them home,” Emmanuel Gregoire, deputy mayor of Paris said about the crisis.
He said the problem becomes more widespread because of the movement of people.
“There are 3.6 million people who come into Paris every day, and bedbugs do not stop on the outskirts of the city,” he said.
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The country had in 2020, launched an anti-bed bug campaign, which includes a dedicated website and an information hotline, as numbers of the insect surged.
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