Paris 2024 Olympics: Bedbug invasion raises concerns for athletes' medal quest in French capital
Paris Bedbugs: Just 10 months before hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, Paris is grappling with a bedbug infestation that has spread across the city. Initially detected in hotels and rental apartments during the summer, the tiny pests have since appeared in theaters, and more recently, social media users have reported sightings of bedbugs on seats in high-speed trains and the Paris Metro.
Photos and videos of these unwelcome visitors in the Metro have gone viral, prompting passengers to issue warnings to others about checking seats and bags before sitting down. The resurgence of bedbugs in France, which had largely disappeared from daily life in the 1950s, can be attributed to the high population density in urban areas and increased use of mass transit.
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To address this growing problem, France's Transport Minister, Clement Beaune, has committed to taking measures to protect the public from bedbug infestations, convening a meeting of public transport operators.
Paris City Hall has urged President Emmanuel Macron to take action against the infestation, including establishing a dedicated task force. Despite these concerns, Paris' Deputy Mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, has reassured that there is "no threat to the Olympic Games" and has called for collective efforts to resolve the issue. He emphasised that bedbugs existed before and will continue to exist afterward.
Transport operators have pledged to remain vigilant, and there have been no recent sightings reported since a passenger captured footage of the pests last week.
Specialised companies responsible for insect infestation control have reported being inundated with requests in recent weeks. The extermination process can be expensive, with one visit costing several hundred dollars, and often necessitates repeat treatments.
Bedbugs, named for their habit of nesting in mattresses, emerge at night to feed on human blood, making their resurgence in Paris a cause for concern for residents, travelers, and the upcoming Olympic Games.
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- With inputs from agencies
