BBC reported on the 3rd (local time) that bedbugs appeared in Paris and other countries, causing "insect phobia" and raising questions about public health ahead of the Olympics, but "some are true and some are not true."
The BBC also pointed out that the number of bedbugs sightings has increased over the past few weeks, but that this trend goes back several years.
Jean-Michel Berange, an entomologist at a major hospital in Marseille, France, said, "Every late summer, bedbugs increase significantly," adding, "It's because people move a lot from July to August and move bedbugs through their luggage."
In Paris, one in 10 apartment residents has experienced bedbugs in the last five years.
However, reports that bedbugs have been found in movie theaters have been taken seriously recently, and the French government as well as the city of Paris has urged them to take action, the BBC said.
The BBC analyzed that it shows how seriously the French authorities take the fear of bedbugs as a story circulating on social media (SNS) ahead of the Olympics. In addition, the BBC reported that the bedbug problem has become a "national emergency" as ghost stories spread rapidly through the Internet, and that citizens prefer to check the seat covers of the subway one by one or stand up altogether.
Entomologist Berangze said, "The sooner we take action against bedbugs, the better," but pointed out, "But many problems are exaggerated."
The BBC said the emergence of bedbugs is a global problem not only in France but also in the world, and that globalization such as container trade, tourism, and immigration is the main cause of the spread of bedbugs.
It was also pointed out that bedbugs became resistant to pesticides such as DDT and the number of cockroaches that were "bugs predators" decreased.
Berangze said that in developed countries, the "collective memory" of bedbugs has faded, which can lead to a greater sense of bedbugs.
The BBC said the risk posed by bedbugs is more psychological than physical. It is explained that it can be disgusting, but it is not known to be a disease carrier.
You must be logged in to post a comment.