Bedbugs in France - 18th October 2023

France has a problem with bedbugs. People are worried. Many people uploaded videos of bedbugs on social media. They show them on seats on the metro and trains. But transport authorities say it's not a problem.

The situation's similar around the world. Many people found bedbugs in their suitcases. They're everywhere.

Dr Mohand Arezki Izri thinks bedbugs hide in suitcases. Now, they're in French hotels.

Dr Mohand Arezki Izri: "The first reports of bedbug infestations are coming from the big hotels, the palaces, the five-star hotels, where there are no hygiene problems, that's for sure. It's people who have travelled and brought back bedbugs and left them in the hotel."

Bedbugs drink human blood. They do this at night. It's hard to find them.

Virginie uses the Paris trains often. She doesn't want any bedbugs in her home.

Virginie: "I've never had bedbugs. But it's true that we're hearing a lot about them at the moment, so I'm quite careful. As soon as I get home, I change my clothes and put everything in the wash, precisely to avoid bringing any back, because apparently there are more and more of them. As I travel a lot by train, I'm quite careful."

The French government wants to stop the bedbugs. They want the city to be safe for the Paris Olympics 2024. They're trying to kill all the bedbugs. But these bedbugs won't die easily. This is making it difficult.

Sabine Vainqueur lives in Paris. She says bedbugs are normal there. Social media made people pay attention. Now they are afraid. But bedbugs aren't new.

Sabine Vainqueur: "I've always lived in Paris, and I've always seen stories about bedbugs around. And now, I have the impression that on social networks, because there's a lot of talk about it, there's a bit of a fuss, when in the end, well, it's something we do pay attention to on a daily basis, but nothing more."