France hits back at bedbug 'invasion' hysteria, calls in sniffer dogs to inspect trains

PARIS: Sniffer dogs will help inspect French trains and the Paris metro for bedbugs after dozens of reports of infestations, the transport minister said on Wednesday (Oct 4), adding that so far not a single bedbug had been found.

Clement Beaune said there had been about ten traveller reports about bedbugs at Paris public transport operator RATP and 37 at rail operator SNCF in recent weeks.

"When there is a problem, we deal with it, we won't deny it. There is no outbreak of bedbugs in public transport," Beaune said after meeting with transport operators and travel associations.

Aghast citizens have reported seeing the creatures in recent weeks on trains, the Paris metro as well as in cinemas and in schools, sparking fears over a supposed invasion. 

The sightings have sent a shudder through the country, with France in the midst of hosting the Rugby World Cup and preparing to welcome millions from around the world for the Paris Olympics next year.

Beaune said all French public transport operators will boost health procedures in general and the fight against bedbugs in particular, notably with canine sniffer teams, which he said were the most effective means of detection.

He added that every three months, data will be published about all bedbug reports and any confirmed infestations.

"There is no increase in cases, no psychosis, no need for anxiety," he said.

Beaune also plans to meet pest control companies and aims to organise a conference about solutions to any potential problem by the end of this month.

RASHES, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

In a sign of how seriously President Emmanuel Macron's government views the issue with the Olympics looming, an interministerial meeting will take place on Friday hosted by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, government spokesman Olivier Veran said.

Bedbugs "affect health, the economy, transport, tourism" and "therefore require a comprehensive approach", Veran told reporters.

Two schools - one in Marseille and the other in Villefranche-sur-Saone outside Lyon in southeastern France - have become infected with bedbugs and have been closed down for several days to be cleaned out, local authorities said.

Meanwhile, the head of Macron's Renaissance party in the French National Assembly, Sylvain Maillard, said Tuesday a cross-party Bill would be put forward "at the beginning of December" to combat the "scourge" of bedbugs.

Bedbugs, which had largely disappeared from daily life by the 1950s, have appeared in greater numbers in recent decades, mostly due to high population densities, people taking more holidays and mass transit.

One in 10 French households are believed to have had a bedbug problem over the past few years, usually requiring a pest control operation costing several hundreds of euros that often needs to be repeated.

Bedbugs get their name from their habit of nesting in mattresses, although they can also hide in clothes and in luggage. They come out at night to feed on human blood.

Bedbug bites leave blisters or large rashes on the skin, and can cause intense itching or allergic reactions.

They also often cause psychological distress, sleeping issues, anxiety and depression.