Video evidence has been emerging showing the biting bugs in the upholstery of cinemas, hotels and metro cars. There have even been reports of the insects in Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport.
Now even the city’s deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, admits the problem is widespread.
“You have to understand that in reality no one is safe, obviously there are risk factors but in reality, you can catch bed bugs anywhere and bring them home,” he told television station LCI over the weekend.
As a key hub for the Rugby World Cup and the host city for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the influx of visitors has brought some unexpected problems, says the deputy mayor.
“There are 3.6 million people who come into Paris every day, and bedbugs do not stop on the outskirts of the city,” he said during a town hall meeting.
Gregoire said the upcoming Olympics provided an opportunity for the city to get on top of the problem.
In an open letter to France’s Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, Gregoire said dealing with the bugs should be a priority.
“The state urgently needs to put an action plan in place against this scourge as France is preparing to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024,″ he wrote.
Three years ago the city introduced a bed bug hotline for tourists to report sightings of the small blood-sucking insects.
Over summer the French government said the country was experiencing the largest resurgence of the “punaise de lit” (bed ticks) since the 1950s.
The Ministry of Health advises travellers that the parasites hide away from light in the crevices of soft upholstery.
The support page advises tourists not to place luggage under beds or on the floor, and to examine wardrobes and mattresses before unpacking.
If you’ve been affected by bedbugs, the ministry advises travellers to vacuum luggage, and put clothes through a hot wash of at least 60C. Items with soft fabric that cannot be washed should be placed in the deep freeze for at least 72 hours.
