Oh Punaise! Are Bedbugs Really Taking Over the World in Paris?

...before you start scratching, let's take a step back.

Media reports of passengers recently spotting bedbugs on one line of the Paris Metro were followed by officials saying none were subsequently found. Image by Arthur Humeau/Unsplash

Dear Subscribers,

I can feel the collective itch mounting already. If you’ve read mainstream media stories about Paris this week, you’ve probably been exposed to one of a gazillion stories about a sharp uptick (incongruous pun intended) in reports of bedbugs (punaises de lit) around the capital and other cities.

According to accounts in both French and English-language media, there has been an alarming rise in people reporting and seeking treatment for bedbugs in Paris. For weeks now, social media posts showing (often blurry) footage of critters alleged to be bedbugs crawling on metro seats or on couches in apartment rentals have prompted what many French media outlets are calling a “psychose” (panic or fit of hysteria).