The 2023 Paris bedbug outbreak was a local infestation of bedbugs that took place in the French capital in the latter half of 2023. Reports of bedbug sightings began in rental and hotel accommodations in the summer of 2023, and escalated to public spaces, including movie theaters and transport systems, over the following months. The outbreak caused national upset and drew significant media attention, with both local and international actors calling on the French government for a more serious response to the situation. This outbreak occurred less than a year before the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, raising concerns about the city's ability to safely host tourists and locals traveling for the occasion.
Bedbug infestations have been reported as early as the times of the Ancient Greeks, [1] but were largely eradicated in the mid-20th century thanks to the development of strong pesticides, such as DDT. A resurgence of bedbug infestations occurred in the late 1990s and has continued to evolve since then. [1] The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants signed in 2004 is cited as one of the causes for this change, as the banning of powerful pesticides led to a proliferation of this parasite. Globalization and more frequent international travel is also frequently cited as a cause. [2]
According to a report published by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) in July 2023, more than 1 in 10 French households was infested with bedbugs between 2017 and 2022. [3] A different estimate placed France's peak infestation at 32% households in 2019, and the figures lowered in 2020 with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic and global travel restrictions. [4]
Following the publication of the ANSES report in July 2023, [5] French media outlets began reporting more frequently on the presence of bedbugs in households and public spaces. [6] Videos of bedbugs in Paris public transport, trains and cinemas began circulating on social media in the beginning of October 2023. [7] According to entomologist Jean-Michel Berenger, the presence of bedbugs in public spaces has been trending upwards, but a new element of "general psychosis" [8] took hold in 2023. According to Berenger, bedbugs have been making a comeback for years and have been trending up on a global scale.
On September 28, 2023, deputy mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire asked the government to declare bedbugs a national health crisis. [9] During a crisis meeting held on October 4, 2023, French Transport Minister Clément Beaune addressed reports of bedbug infestations in Parisian public transport and trains and claimed that of the more than 40 reported cases, "zero [were] proven". [10] Following measures were mainly efforts to reassure Parisians and tourists that the issue was less severe than reported in news outlets through the creation of informational websites and reassurances that the issue was being dealt with seriously. [11]
According to the 2023 ANSES report, the eradication of bedbugs cost French households 230 million euros between 2017 and 2022. [12] In 2023, the average cost to exterminate bedbugs in Paris was estimated to be around 1200 euros per household. [13] Although bedbugs are not more likely to begin spreading in low-income communities, the cost of eradication is cited as a reason why disadvantaged communities often face longer-lasting infestations. [14] Some French newspapers cited the psychological cost of bedbugs infestations as weighing more heavily on low-income communities, as they have helped perpetuate stereotypes of uncleanliness and division between classes. [15]
With an expected influx of 15 million people arriving and traveling through Paris during the summer of 2024 for the Olympics, [16] many media outlets have raised concern about the city's ability to safely deal with such increased tourism rates.
Porte de Versailles is a station on line 12 of the Paris Métro, a stop on tramway T3a as well as the southern terminus of tramway T2 in the 15th arrondissement. It is named after the Porte de Versailles, a gate in the 19th century Thiers wall of Paris, which led to the city of Versailles.
Bed bugs are parasitic insects from the genus Cimex, who are micropredators that feed on blood, usually at night. Their bites can result in a number of health impacts, including skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms. Bed bug bites may lead to skin changes ranging from small areas of redness to prominent blisters. Symptoms may take between minutes to days to appear and itchiness is generally present. Some individuals may feel tired or have a fever. Typically, uncovered areas of the body are affected. Their bites are not known to transmit any infectious disease. Complications may rarely include areas of dead skin or vasculitis.
Paris Métro Line 11 is one of the sixteen lines of the Paris Métro. It links Châtelet to Mairie des Lilas in the northeastern suburbs. At a length of 6.3 km and 13 stations served, it is currently the shortest of the 14 main Métro lines but is being extended by 6 stations. With 47.1 million riders in 2017, it is the thirteenth busiest line in the network.
Sophie Joissains is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. She represents the Bouches-du-Rhône department and is a member of the Radical Party.
Paris La Défense Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. Opened in October 2017, it was developed by the rugby union club Racing 92, and replaced Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir as their home field. It is one of the two multi-purpose indoor arena to be built in Europe, along with Telenor Arena and is Europe's largest indoor arena. Its naming rights are held by Paris La Défense, the management company of the nearby La Défense business district.
Grand Paris Express is a group of new rapid transit lines being built in the Île-de-France region of France. The project comprises four new lines for Paris Métro, plus extensions of existing Lines 11 and 14. A total of 200 kilometres (120 mi) of new track and 68 new stations are to be added, serving a projected 2 million passengers a day.
Lou de Laâge is a French actress. She has been nominated for two César Awards for her performances in the independent film Jappeloup (2013) and the drama film Respire (2014).
Esther Benbassa is a French-Turkish-Israeli historian and politician. She specializes in the history of Jews and other minorities. Since 2011, Benbassa has served as a French senator, representing Paris from 2017 onwards and Val-de-Marne from 2011 to 2017.
In October 2018, the owner of a book shop in the Gobelins neighbourhood in the 13th arrondissement of Paris began lending out oversized teddy bears. Photographs of them in human poses in various local and wider Parisian settings have been widely circulated.
Pascal Praud is a French far-right sports journalist, radio columnist, radio host, television presenter and producer.
Francis Szpiner is a French lawyer, writer and politician of The Republicans who serves as the mayor of the 16th arrondissement of Paris between 2020 and 2023.He was elected Senator of Paris in September 2023. He was an attorney for several prominent French politicians.
Timeline of the liberation of the primary cities of France between 1943 and 1945.
Pont Cardinet is a station on Line 14 of the Paris Métro located in the Batignolles neighbourhood of the 17th arrondissement. It was opened on 14 December 2020 as part of the extension to Mairie de Saint-Ouen and is located nearby to Pont Cardinet station.
Saint-Ouen is a station on the Paris Métro, serving line 14 and offering transfer to the RER C via Saint-Ouen RER station. It is located at the limits of the territories of the communes of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and Clichy. It is the 304th station of the métro.
Barbara is a station of the Paris Métro on Line 4 in Montrouge and Bagneux. The station was built as part of a two-station southward extension from Mairie de Montrouge to Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac. It opened in January 2022.
Bagneux–Lucie Aubrac is a Paris Métro station in Bagneux, Hauts-de-Seine. It is the southern terminus of Line 4, and was built as part of a two-station southward extension from Mairie de Montrouge, the previous terminus of the line. The adjacent station is Barbara. The station opened in January 2022. In future, the station will be served by Paris Métro Line 15.
Les Ateliers Gaîté is a mixed use complex in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France. Located in the broader Montparnasse area, the 1.5 acre ensemble takes its name from the Gaîté neighborhood its sits in, a reference to the many entertainment venues that once existed in the vicinity.
Abass Dembélé is a colonel-major in the Malian Armed Forces and has been governor of Mopti Region since 2020.
The Workers' Party (PT), named the Independent Democratic Workers' Party (POID) until 2023, is a French far-left political party led by Daniel Gluckstein. It was founded in 2015 following a split with the Independent Workers' Party (POI).
On 8 July 2023, two and a half year old Émile Soleil went missing in the French commune of Le Vernet, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. On 30 March 2024 remains of the boy were found, confirming his death.
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