France’s Transport Minister has insisted there is “no resurgence” of bedbugs on public transport in Paris as the country seeks to put an end to the crisis ahead of the Olympics next summer.
Clement Beaune urged people not to “fall into psychosis or anxiety” over the bloodsucking insects, saying cases are no higher than normal.
He said all recent bedbug reports on trains and other modes of Paris's public transport had been checked – and “zero” were proven.
“There … may be cases in the coming weeks or in the coming months, as there are in all major cities and major metropolis,” Mr Beaune said, insisting the phenomenon was nothing new.
More than one in 10 households in France was infested with bedbugs between 2017 and 2022, according to a report by the National Agency for Health and Food Safety, which relied on a poll by Ipsos to query people on a topic that many are said to prefer to avoid discussing because they fear being stigmatised.
Mr Beaune said protocols would be strengthened and updates provided on a quarterly basis, but he said it was important not to “fall into the idea of an acceleration or a resurgence” because that is “not the case”.
The small insects often live on furniture or bedding and can be difficult to eradicate. While their bites can be itchy, they do not usually cause other health problems.
Without any blood, “they can slow their metabolism and just wait for us”, said Jean-Michel Berenger, an entomologist who raises bedbugs in his lab in the infectious diseases section of the Mediterranee University Hospital in Marseille.
The carbon dioxide that all humans give off “will reactivate them … and they’ll come back to bite you”.
For now, Mr Berenger said panic among the public meant “bedbugs have infested the media”.
It began about a month ago after reports surfaced of bedbugs at a Paris cinema. Videos started popping up on social networks, showing the insects on trains and buses.
Now, Socialists and centrists of President Emmanuel Macron’s party want to propose bills to fight bedbugs.
Far-left politician Mathilde Panot recently brought a vial of bedbugs to parliament to chastise the government for, in her view, letting the creatures run rampant.
Bedbugs, an age-old curse on humans, had seemingly disappeared with treatment by harsh, now-banned insecticides.
They made a reappearance in the 1950s, especially in densely populated cities such as New York, and they travel the world due to commerce and tourism.
That adds up to a bedbug challenge for the Paris Olympics starting in July.
“All human population movements are profitable for bedbugs because they go with us to hotels, on transport," said Mr Berenger.
But Mr Beaune is hopeful that steps can be taken to ease the public fear.
The transport chief conceded, however: “It’s hell, these bedbugs."
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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Company%20Profile
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Red flags
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Company%20profile
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
