French Transport Minister Clement Beaune wrote on Twitter (X) on Friday that he would meet with transport operators next week to “take further measures”. Insects disappeared from everyday life in the 1950s and were on the rise again in many industrialized countries about 30 years ago. The theme is not new in Paris either, but its extent is. A year before Paris is scheduled to host the Olympic Games, the plague is particularly unfortunate.
Speaking to French television channel LCI on Friday, the deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, described the phenomenon as “widespread”. No one is safe, he emphasized. “Of course there are risk factors, but the reality is that you can pick up bed bugs anywhere and bring them home,” says Gregoire. At the same time, he warned against hysteria and referred to the wide range of information available from the city and the French government.
According to Gregoire, he is not afraid of a “threat to the Olympic Games” from bedbugs. The next big event is rather “an opportunity” to work together on the problem. He himself only called on the French government to act in the middle of last week and called for the introduction of a reporting obligation and financial support options for those affected.
Increasingly resistant to insecticides
Johanna Fite, from the French health authority Anses, told the press that the spread of bedbugs is mainly due to the sharp increase in people’s travel and that the animals can easily spread from accommodation to accommodation in luggage. The current “escalation” in numbers is also due to the fact that bed bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides.
Portal/Stephanie Lecocq The plague can hardly be stopped with home remedies – exterminators are currently in high demand in Paris
Bed bugs are the size of an apple seed, feed mainly on human blood at night, often hide in mattresses or beds, and are carried in clothing and luggage. To eliminate them, it is essential to thoroughly clean the infested area and it is often necessary to use a specialized pest control service.
Scary images on social media
Photos of the small animals or their bite marks are being shared widely on social media. Reports of attacks in public spaces are increasing and a list of affected locations – such as cinemas – is circulating online.
Reporting is a challenge for transportation companies. It is said that any suspected withdrawal of trains from service will be investigated and monitored. According to the newspaper “Le Parisien”, both the Paris public transport company (RATP) and the French railway company stated, despite numerous reports, that no proven cases have been confirmed in their vehicles in recent days.