Paris has been infested by bed bugs. Are they dangerous, and can you avoid them?

Key PointsThe capital of France has been infested with bed bugs during Paris Fashion Week. Bed bugs are almost impossible to avoid or eradicate due to their resistance and ability to spread quickly.There are concerns they could already have spread to other countries due to the high volume of tourists.

Paris is often known as the City of Lights or City of Love, but now it is the city of bed bugs.

Throughout late September and early October, the city has reportedly become infested with the insects, believed to be fuelled by rising numbers of visitors travelling in and out of the city.

Photos and videos on social media show bed bugs crawling around the metro and cinemas, people covered in bites, and discarded infested mattresses on the street.

There has also been speculation that the bugs may have already spread to London and other cities, particularly through those travelling in and out of the city for Paris Fashion Week.

While some social media users are making light of the situation with memes and video skits, there have also been serious concerns.

Reports of the infestation have reached the highest levels of government, and have raised questions over health and hygiene ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“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,” the capital’s deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, said in a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne last week.

The deputy mayor called on insurers to include bed bug cover in home insurance policies as low-income people rarely have the means to call in pest control firms.

“Everyone is panicking,” pest control store manager Sacha Krief said.

“People can really get depressed, even paranoid over it.”

What are bed bugs and are they dangerous?

Bed bugs are small insects about 5 millimetres long and are commonly found in beds and linen in houses and hotels.

They feed on blood and can grow up to 1cm and turn from brown to red when they are full after feeding.

They are common around the world and often travel from one place to another via unknowing travellers’ luggage.

Stephen Doggett, Director of Medical Entomology at NSW Health Pathology, Westmead Hospital, said bed bugs are not generally considered dangerous to humans and do not transmit diseases.

He said the reaction to bites can vary from person to person.

“It can be a fairly mild or no reaction to a really very intense itchy reaction called a wheal, which can be about the size of a 20 or 50 cent coin which can be extremely uncomfortable,” he said.

“In some cases, people can develop a severe allergic reaction where your face swells up and you get itchy all over, although that is fairly uncommon.”

Dogget said many people also experience emotional and psychological effects after bed-bug infestations, including anxiety or difficulty sleeping due to bites.

“When you go to bed to rest and unwind … and you’re most vulnerable in that state and to get bitten during that time is horrific,” he said.

“And bites are quite itchy and irritating … and if you get hundreds of bites it can be extremely uncomfortable.”

Research has also found many people who are exposed to bed bugs experience social isolation or reported behaviour such as hypervigilance, nightmares and obsessive cleaning in the aftermath.

How do you spot bed bugs, and can you avoid them?

Bed bugs are difficult to control, avoid or fully exterminate due to their resilience to insecticides and ability to spread.

To reduce the chance of a bed bug infestation, it is important to maintain a high standard of hygiene including regular washing and vacuuming.

If you are travelling, make sure to check your bed and room before going to sleep, and inspect your luggage before taking it into your own home.

Bed bugs are usually found in bedrooms and sleeping areas, and may be spotted by removing sheets and inspecting the mattress and any crevices in or around the bed.

Doggett said it can be “very difficult” to avoid bed bugs in certain situations.

“They’re commonly found on beds, but in an infestation in a room you can find them anywhere,” he said.

“You’ll find them on the walls, the curtain, on the ceiling, bedside furniture, it all depends on how many bugs are present in the infestation.”

They can also be found in crevices in other furniture or walls, and can sometimes be spotted by small brown spots or dried blood on bedding.

If you suspect you have been bitten by bed bugs, you can speak to a doctor or pharmacist for ointments or antihistamines to calm skin irritation depending on the severity of your reaction.

If your accommodation has been infested with bed bugs, or if you have found them on your clothing, Doggett recommends washing clothing and bed linen immediately on a hot cycle.

Infested bed linen or clothing should also be tumble-dried on a hot cycle.

Freezing can also kill bed bugs, so placing small items in the freezer for a week can be an effective treatment option.

Insecticide sprays and other chemical treatments are often not effective on bed bugs, and professional pest controllers are usually required to eradicate an infestation.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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