There has been “no resurgence” of bedbugs on public transport in Paris and people should not “fall into psychosis or anxiety” about the little critters, French Transport Minister Clément Beaune said Wednesday.
The tiny insects have been spotted on public transport in Paris and across France over the past few weeks, raising alarm among residents and public officials, who have asked the government to take action to fight this “scourge” ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
But during a crisis meeting on Wednesday, Beaune said that all recent bedbug reports — 37 cases have been reported to railway firm SNCF and a dozen reported to Paris’ public transport operator RATP — have been checked and “zero are proven.”
“There … may be cases in the coming weeks or in the coming months, as there are in all major cities and major metropolis,” Beaune said. “It is not a phenomenon that arose now.”
Beaune said his department will strengthen protocols, produce quarterly updates on the issue and work with transport operators to find effective solutions. But he stressed that it’s important not to “fall into the idea of an acceleration or a resurgence,” as that is “not the case.”
Earlier this week, French Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau also urged the public to stay calm and not panic over reports of bedbugs.
In recent weeks, videos of bedbugs in trains and on the Paris metro have circulated on the internet. According to French news, bedbugs disappeared from France around 1950 before making a comeback in the 1990s due to increased international travel.
France might not be the only country set for a bedbug battle: Belgian pest-control companies have reported a spike in calls about infestations in recent months.
Giorgio Leali contributed reporting.
