The French government has sworn to "reassure and protect" the public as the city of light gets attacked by bedbug infestation.
French Transport Minister Clement Beaune stated Friday that he would "bring together transport operators next week" to "take further action" to "reassure and protect" the public from the alleged increase in the numbers of the blood-sucking insect.
The revelation comes as calls for government action from Paris authorities and labor unions grow after many videos of bedbugs found in public transit and other sites such as theatres surfaced on social media.
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On Friday, deputy mayor of Paris Emmanuel Gregoire told French television station LCI that the phenomenon was "widespread."
"You have to understand that in reality no one is safe, obviously there are risk factors but in reality, you can catch bedbugs anywhere and bring them home," he stated.
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As the number of bedbugs increased three years ago, the French government began an anti-bedbug campaign that included a dedicated website and an information hotline.
Despite this approach, Gregoire stated that "there are 3.6 million people who come into Paris every day, and bedbugs do not stop on the outskirts of the city."
According to Anses, France's national health and sanitary organization, the problem is "an emerging phenomenon in France and almost everywhere else in the world."
"It's primarily due to population movement, people traveling, people staying in short-term accommodations and bringing bedbugs back in their suitcases or luggage," Johanna Fite of the Anses Department of Risk Assessment told CNN.
She said there was an "escalation" in numbers because bedbugs became more insecticide-resistant.
"We are observing more and more bedbug populations that are resistant, so there is no miracle treatment to get rid of them," Fite stated.
