Numerous articles have been published, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon press, on the risks linked to these insects which are causing a stir in France, even if it means exaggerating their scope.
He probably did not expect his sentence to achieve such international fame. By declaring on Friday September 29 at the microphone of LCI that “person [n’était] sheltered” bedbugs, the first deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, made the headlines of several foreign media. “No one is safe”headline CNN, Metro Or The Mirror, translating the warning of the Parisian elected official. In the international press, France is now described as “infested” by these pests. Enough to raise concern around the world about the risks linked to tourism and transform these tiny insects into a threat to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
>> Bedbugs: more than one in ten households have recently been infected in France, according to ANSES
“Paris is teeming with bedbugs”is alarmed thus Forbes. Paris, “City of Light or City of Bites?”asks for his part The New York Times. “In France, people may never sleep well again, as a wave of bedbugs continues to bite,” says the British daily Metro. If many Anglo-Saxon media are warning about the presence of bedbugs in France, even if it means exaggerating their proliferation, our other European neighbors are also starting to worry.
“France has been suffering from a bedbug infestation for weeks and the problem has become a headache for the French authorities”writes the Spanish media The Confidential. “What Paris is experiencing is a real emergency: it is not terrorism, public unrest or extreme weather events. The problem is much smaller, but just as insidious and has a name: ‘bedbugs’ [en français dans le texte]“even warns Italian television Rai News.
“Fashionistas are not immune”
Beyond the consequences for the French, many foreign media are interested in the fate of tourists who could well be affected by these bedbugs… or even bring them back to their country of origin. CBS News thus gives its American readers its “expert advice on how to protect yourself while traveling”. Forbes also informs its readers of “how to spot them, and avoid bringing them home on your next trip”.
>> Bedbugs: eleven tips to protect yourself (and get rid of them)
A French event with global resonance is already at the heart of all attention: Paris Fashion Week, which was held between the end of September and the beginning of October. “A ‘widespread’ outbreak of bedbugs invades Paris during Fashion Week”warns the magazine Timeonce again using an expression from the first deputy of the Paris town hall, Emmanuel Grégoire. “As Paris finishes hosting Fashion Week, it’s not Balenciaga, Dior and Chanel stealing the show. The biggest new trend that could emerge in the United States is actually unexpected: bed bugs”squeaks Newsweek.
“Fashionistas are not immune”alert The New York Timesin an article with an evocative title: “Best plans for Fashion Week in Paris? Avoid bedbugs”. No one is spared, according to the journalist from the famous American daily. “Bed bugs are just as likely to take up residence in a Chanel tweed jacket as they are in a Zara knockoff.” “Fashionistas should be well aware that even the salons of Avenue Montaigne or the catwalks of Chanel or Dior are hardly safe from these blood-sucking creatures”adds David A. Andelman in a post published by CNN.
“Are the Olympic Games in danger?”
Beyond the current situation, many foreign media are particularly concerned about the impact of bedbugs on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. La Vanguardia and USA Today are keeping count by reminding that the opening of the Olympics is planned in just “ten months”. “Bedbug panic grips Paris as infestations soar ahead of 2024 Olympics”alert her BBC.
“Less than a year before millions of people are expected in Paris for the Olympics, a wave of reports of bedbug infestations has put French authorities under pressure”also explains The New York Times. A question comes up on the front page of several foreign media, including Il Tempo in Italy : “Are the Olympic Games in danger?”