Leeches in the subway, hotels and cinemas: France’s bedbug problem has consequences for national politics

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Lurking in the subway, on hotel beds and in cinemas, bedbugs are currently making life difficult for people in France. The parasites are brown and turn deep red after eating, as a French newspaper describes the animals.

The problem has now reached national proportions. There is a debate going on in the political landscape about the best way to deal with the pests. A year before the Summer Olympics, the spread of the insects causes nervousness. Numerous videos on social media show the small beetles in various places in public spaces.

One school in Marseille and Lyon was temporarily closed due to bedbugs. In addition, several cinema operators have asked specialists in recent weeks to investigate the cinema halls with sniffer dogs.

Political camps criticize each other

There will even be a crisis meeting with several ministers on the subject on Friday. The left accuses the government of not doing enough to stop the spread of leeches. She called for the establishment of a free disinfection service for citizens. The Socialists, in turn, are calling for a new clause in insurance contracts for houses and apartments.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau said bedbug infestations were “hell” for those affected. At the same time, he also emphasized that there was “no reason to panic because of the insects.”

According to a study published in July, eleven percent of all households in France suffer from bed bugs, regardless of the social environment. The leeches largely disappeared from everyday life in the 1950s, but have been increasingly present for thirty years. Its spread is made possible by travel, buying second-hand clothing, the growing resistance of animals and probably also by climate change.

Do not place suitcases on hotel beds

Transport Minister Clément Beaune called representatives of the railways, local public transport and airports for an emergency meeting on Wednesday. These were possible measures to specifically prevent the spread of the animals.

The government refers to the rules of conduct that have been in place for years: Travelers should avoid placing their suitcases on hotel beds. Laundry that is suspected of being contaminated should be washed at 60 degrees.

The excitement among politicians is not least due to the Olympic Games, which will take place in Paris and other places in the country in the summer of 2024. Given the expected crowds of visitors, every effort must be made to prevent damage to the company’s image. (AFP/a)

Source: Blick