NewsRescue
French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau has asked the public to be calm in the face of an alleged bedbug outbreak in Paris. Meanwhile, French legislators are working on legislation to combat the infestation.
“There is no need for widespread panic; we are not under attack by bedbugs,” Rousseau said on France Inter radio on Tuesday.
“What worries me is that people are not duped by companies that charge 2,000 or 3,000 euros ($2,100 or $3,100)” to kill bedbugs in their homes, he continued, accusing the pest treatment sector of profiting from the hysteria.
Although bedbugs had largely disappeared in Western Europe by the mid-twentieth century, they have recently made a comeback in Paris. Insects have recently been spotted on the city’s trains and metros.
“This is truly a national emergency. It’s an endemic subject in all places that receive the public,” First Deputy Mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire said, arguing that it was particularly important to address the bedbug issue ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Bed bugs are a public health issue that must be addressed.” “As France prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024, the government must urgently bring together all stakeholders involved in order to deploy a comprehensive action plan to deal with this scourge,” the deputy mayor remarked.
Bedbugs have been an issue in France for many years, with one-tenth of all French families reported to have been infested. Bedbugs prefer to infest soft furniture and clothing, and they come out at night to feed on the blood of sleeping humans.
France’s long-standing insect problem appears to have exacerbated in recent months, as various films circulating online show the bugs swarming on public transport, such as trains.