Paris is known for its iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées, the Louvre Museum and many others. In recent news, however, the city of love has gained attention for another, less desirable reason: bed bugs.
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Paris to solve the bed bug crisis. (AP)
After several people in Paris took to social media to share pictures and videos of the blood-sucking insects crawling on high-speed trains and buses. In addition, they were seen in cinemas and at Charles de Gaulle Airport, reported USA Today.
Shortly after this situation began to spiral out of control, Transport Minister Clement Beaune announced that he would be meeting with representatives of public transport companies to inform them of countermeasures to combat the bedbugs. He also said the government could do more to protect passengers, France 24 reports.
They also reported that Paris City Hall has called on President Emmanuel Macron to help fight the infection by creating a special task force. (Also read: Emmanuel Macron talks to King Charles III in Paris during his state visit)
French carriers say they are still wary of bed bugs despite the fact that there have been no recent sightings of these insects.
RATP, the operator behind the Paris metro, told CNN: “Every sighting is taken into account and subject to treatment. There have been no proven cases of bedbugs recorded in our equipment these past few days.”
ANSES, the National Social Security Administration, says that “the increase in bed bug infestations in recent years is particularly due to the increase in travel and the increasing resistance of bed bugs to insecticides”.
“Although all households can be affected by bedbugs, we have been able to identify a number of factors that favor infection: these include travel and living in shared accommodation, for example,” says Karine Fiore, deputy director of ANSES’s social sciences, economics and society department.
ANSES also urges that, as bed bug treatment can be expensive, financial support should be provided to victims of infestation, especially those from low-income households.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn