Recent Sightings on Subway and High-Speed Rail Continue
French Transport Minister "Will Take Measures... Meeting Next Week"
In the French capital Paris, the government has taken measures as sightings of bedbugs on the subway and high-speed trains (TGV) have become more frequent.
According to a CNN report on the 30th of last month (local time), Cl?ment Beaune, France's Minister of Transport, stated the day before, "We will take measures to reassure and protect the public regarding the widespread spread of bedbugs in Paris," adding, "I will convene a meeting with transportation operators next week."
Recently in France, bedbugs have been spotted not only on public transportation such as subways and trains but also in hotels and cinemas, emerging as a social issue.
According to the French daily Le Parisien, three reports of bedbug sightings on trains were posted on social media within a week at the end of last month. A netizen’s post on the 19th of last month about finding bedbugs on a train seat recorded over 7 million views, and on the 22nd, a passenger on a direct train to Lille Flandres filmed an insect presumed to be a bedbug crawling over the seat handle and posted it on social media.
However, a netizen who identified themselves as an employee of the railway company (SNCF) claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Insects on trains? There are no bedbugs or cockroaches on high-speed trains (TGV). Occasionally, insects may intrude, but they do not inhabit the trains; they are brought in by passengers." They added, "All trains undergo pest control measures with insecticides every 60 days, and any train where insects or bugs are found is disinfected before being put back into service."
Emmanuel Gr?goire, First Deputy Mayor of Paris, said, "Everyone must understand that no one is safe," adding, "Bedbugs can appear anywhere and can be transferred to homes."
Previously, the French government conducted a large-scale bedbug eradication campaign in 2020. However, the results were limited due to the fact that 3.6 million people, including tourists and immigrants, visit Paris daily.
French authorities explained, "Bedbugs mainly enter accommodations on the outskirts of Paris through the luggage or travel bags of immigrants or tourists," and "the surge is due to bedbugs developing resistance to insecticides." However, a manager of a pest control company based in Paris told Le Parisien, "Unlike cockroaches, bedbugs have no relation to the hygiene level of residences," and said that his company works extensively not only in immigrant-dense areas but also in traditional affluent neighborhoods of Paris.
Moreover, with the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, France is increasingly concerned about devising bedbug control measures.
Last week, the Paris City Council sent a letter to Prime Minister ?lisabeth Borne, stating, "Bedbugs are a public health issue," and urged, "At this time of preparing for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the whole of France must implement an action plan commensurate with this disaster." Additionally, Emmanuel Gr?goire, First Deputy Mayor of Paris, announced plans to include bedbug infestation risks in housing insurance.
Bedbugs, which feed on the blood of humans and animals, disappeared in Korea in the 1970s.
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