Paris is known for its iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, and the Louvre Museum, and many more. However, in recent news, the city of love has garnered attention for a different, less desirable reason: bed bugs.
After several people from Paris took to social media to share pictures and videos of the bloodsucking insects crawling all over high-speed trains and buses. Additionally, they were also spotted in movie theaters, and at Charles de Gaulle Airport, reported USA Today.
Soon after this situation started to go out of hand, Transport Minister Clement Beaune announced that he would be meeting with representatives of public transportation companies to inform them about countermeasures of dealing with bed bugs. He also shared how can the government do more for the protection of travelers, as per France 24.
They also reported that the Paris city hall has urged President Emmanuel Macron to help with the infestation by creating a dedicated task force. (Also Read: Emmanuel Macron holds talks with King Charles III in Paris during latter's state visit)
French transport providers say they are nevertheless vigilant about bed bugs despite the fact that there haven't been spottings of these insects recently.
{{/usCountry}}French transport providers say they are nevertheless vigilant about bed bugs despite the fact that there haven't been spottings of these insects recently.
{{/usCountry}}RATP, the operator behind the metro in Paris, told CNN "Each sighting is taken into account and is subject to a treatment. These last few days, there have been no proven cases of bedbugs recorded in our equipment.”
ANSES, the National Social Security Administration, says that the “upsurge in bed-bug infestations in recent years has been due in particular to the rise in travel and the increasing resistance of bed bugs to insecticides.”
"While all households can be affected by bed bugs, we have nevertheless managed to identify a number of factors that favour infestations: these include travelling and living in shared accommodation, for example," says Karine Fiore, Deputy Director of ANSES's social sciences, economics, and society department.
ANSES also urged that since bed bug treatment can be costly, victims of infestation should be provided with financial support, especially those from low-income households.