France is trying to figure out how to put a pest problem to bed.
About nine months from now, Paris will welcome visitors from around the world as the city hosts the Summer Olympics. But now, officials are working to calm the public amid reports of bedbugs in homes, subways and subway stations.
The country’s transport minister called recent reports and social media videos of bedbugs seen in the subway and bus system unfounded. “There is no resurgence of cases,” the minister, Clement Beaune, said.
A National Agency for Health and Food Safety report stated that more than one in 10 households in France was infested with bedbugs between 2017 and 2022.
If you suspect a bedbug infestation in your dwelling, immediately inspect crevices in walls, mattresses and furniture for signs of the pests, according to the Mayo Clinic. These signs include dark specks of bedbug excrement, shed skin and reddish stains. If you find an infestation, call a professional, vaccuum and wash your clothes in warm water that is at least 120 degrees Farhenheit.
Tim McPhillips, Yasmeen Alamiri, Julia Griffin, Mike Regan and Dan Cooney produced and edited this post.
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