Authorities warn: French people are poisoning themselves in the fight against bedbugs

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The French Food Safety, Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety Authority (ANSES) announced on Tuesday in Paris that checks continued to find a toxic product (Sniper 1000 EC DDVP), banned since 2013, in stores and online commerce.

Between January 2018 and June 2023, 206 people were affected by poisoning. The agency has issued a strong warning about the product, which can be toxic if touched or ingested and even fatal if inhaled.

In the summer there was a lot of excitement about the spread of bed bugs in France. People increasingly reported the presence of suspected or actual bed bugs from trains, movie theaters and other places – often accompanied by photos of the parasites. As the ANSES authority has announced, the spread of bed bugs in France has increased in recent years. Between 2017 and 2022, an estimated eleven percent of all French households were affected by bed bugs.

According to the French authority, bed bugs are now resistant to almost all over-the-counter insecticides. Physical control is more promising by attacking the parasites with high heat, such as water vapor, or high cold, for example by freezing affected clothing. Otherwise, professional help from an exterminator is recommended.

(SDA)

Source: Blick