Bedbugs force closure of seven schools in France

The French government has been holding a series of meetings this week to address the surge in reported bedbug cases.

The growing bedbug infestation prompted the temporary closure of seven schools.

Education Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed.

“They detected bedbugs at various levels in, I believe, 17 institutions,

and currently, they have closed seven institutions for this reason.

The French government has been holding a series of meetings this week to address the surge in reported bedbug cases. Photo: Courtesy

A concerning situation particularly as France is currently hosting the Rugby World Cup and preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Bedbugs infestation

Education Ministry released a statement revealing that five schools with a total of 1,500 students had been shut down.

This followed the previous closure of two schools.

One in Marseille and another in Villefranche-sur-Saone, outside Lyon in southeastern France – for thorough cleaning.

Attal acknowledged, “We have almost 60,000 institutions, and we’re only talking about a few dozen here, but it’s true that cases are piling up.”

To facilitate this, a list of “approved and recognized” companies has been collaboratively prepared with the Ministry of Health and regional health agencies.

Allowing school authorities to swiftly engage professional help.

The city’s mayor, Brigitte Foure, reported that after treatment, a sniffer dog found no remaining pests in the library.

Bedbug problems extend beyond schools and libraries, as people have spotted them in various public spaces.

Including the Paris metro, high-speed trains, and Charles De Gaulle Airport.

Despite such reports, the authorities have yet to confirm individual cases, and a probe by Paris transport operator RATP concluded that no bedbugs were found on its services.

This infestation issue is not unique to France, with approximately one-tenth of all households in the country believed to have experienced bedbug problems over the past few years, often requiring costly and repeated pest control operations.