South Korea launches 4-week campaign to fight nationwide bedbug infestations
The number of confirmed or suspected cases of bedbug appearances across South Korea has risen to about 30 since the first reports surfaced in September.
A bed bug is seen on a glove of a biocide technician from the company Hygiene Premium who treats an apartment against bedbugs in L'Hay-les-Roses, near Paris, France, Sep 29, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SEOUL: The South Korean government on Tuesday (Nov 7) announced that it is launching a four-week-long campaign to fight bedbug infestations amid escalating public fears that the pests are spreading across the country.
Under the plan, the government will carry out inspections at "vulnerable facilities" from Nov 13 to Dec 8. They include bathhouses, dormitories and public transportation.
Facilities where bedbugs are found will be immediately disinfected, reported Yonhap.
The move by Seoul comes as the number of confirmed or suspected cases of bedbug appearances nationwide rose to about 30, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.
The first reports surfaced in September after students at Keimyung University in Daegu, around 240km away from the capital Seoul, were bitten by bedbugs in their dormitory, according to The Independent.
Only nine cases of bedbug appearances had been reported to the health authorities in the 10 years since 2014, Yonhap noted.
South Korean authorities also plan to convene weekly meetings to review and update measures to contain bedbug infestations, Yonhap reported.
The government also said it will push to import more effective pesticides and conduct a study on the infection route of bedbugs and their resistance to pest control.
"Public anxiety is inevitable as reports continue to come in," Park Ku-yeon, first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, who heads the team in charge of the campaign, told a meeting.
Park singled out small dorm rooms known as "gosiwon" and single-room households as most vulnerable, calling for support from district authorities.
BEDBUG CASES
Bedbug cases were reported in 17 metropolitan city and provincial governments across South Korea as of Monday, Yonhap reported.
In Seoul, as many as 17 cases have been reported to the authorities as of Sunday. The local government's call centre also received reports of another five cases in the same period.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency also received a total of 11 bedbug-related reports from the start of October to Nov 6, according to the news agency.
A South Korean government official said the number of cases reported to authorities is likely to increase, Yonhap reported.
"There are perceptions that bedbugs are attributable to individuals and some refrain from filing a report on concerns it may be seen as a sign of bad hygiene. The number of reports is expected to increase," the official said.
According to Yonhap, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has sent a letter to 11 education support offices, instructing them to conduct inspections of dormitories and school facilities for signs of bedbug infestations.
One official said they were checking to see if any children were bitten by bedbugs and if there were bedbugs in the dormitories' mattresses.
Some primary and secondary schools across South Korea, including Seoul, have also sent newsletters to the families of students, informing them on how to identify bedbugs, as well as disinfection methods.
Seoul has begun operating a bedbug reporting centre that allows people to notify the city of bedbug appearances, Yonhap reported on Monday.
Once reports are filed, city officials will inspect the reported areas and ensure compliance with relevant regulations and necessary insect prevention measures.
Korea Airports Corporation on Wednesday announced measures across 14 airports nationwide to prevent bedbugs.
The organisation plans to increase the number of checks in vulnerable areas, such as at the airport baggage screening area, terminal lounges, and children's playgrounds from once a week to twice a week at the country's airports.
If bedbugs are discovered, the area is isolated, adults and larvae are removed, and physical and chemical control are carried out, Yonhap reported.
The organisation added that it has not confirmed any presence of bedbugs after an emergency inspection of 14 airports across the country.
South Korea's hospitality industry is stepping up vigilance with the distribution of repellent and training for staff.
Lotte Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality arm of Lotte Corp, said it had not found any bedbug infestations but issued guidelines to all branches, and it plans to disinfect bedding, mattresses, carpets and sofas at its properties.
"We're trying to take strong precautionary steps," a Lotte Hotel official told Reuters.
Authorities in Seoul said metro operators would disinfect trains more frequently and gradually replace fabric seats with plastic ones.
Drivers have to disinfect their taxis twice a day and control measures are also being implemented on buses.
In October, videos of bedbugs crawling on seats of cinemas and trains in France, as well as the Paris metro, sparked fears of a supposed invasion.
The sightings sent a shudder through the country, with France hosting the Rugby World Cup and preparing to welcome millions from around the world for the Paris Olympics next year.
One in 10 French households is believed to have had a bedbug problem over the last few years, usually requiring a pest control operation costing several hundreds of euros that often needs to be repeated.
Bedbugs get their name from their habit of nesting in mattresses, although they can also hide in clothes and in luggage. They come out at night to feed on human blood.
Bedbug bites leave blisters or large rashes on the skin, and can cause intense itching or allergic reactions.
