Education minister says ‘cases are piling up’ and that ‘an immediate response is needed’

France has been forced to shut seven schools over growing concerns over an infestation of bedbugs, the education minister has said.

“Bedbugs were detected at various levels in … I believe 17 institutions, and currently as I speak to you, seven institutions are closed for this reason,” Gabriel Attal told France 5 television.

The French government has held a series of meetings this week to examine surging numbers of reported bedbug cases at a time when France is hosting the Rugby World Cup and preparing to host the Paris 2024 Olympics.

  • comfortablyglum@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I wonder if this would be such an emergency if it wasn’t for the world cup and the Olympics.

    Don’t get me wrong, bed bugs suck (I’ve dealt with them myself), but closing schools? Maybe it’s just because I’m American and I know our country wouldn’t do shit like that for us.

    • TwoGems@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      America just leaves our citizens with whatever infestations they have. I don’t even think they track most diseases anymore either at the CDC, with the exception of Covid mainly.

        • TwoGems@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          The CDC tracks the usual suspects of course but things like pests are ignored, and if I recall lyme disease wasn’t really paid attention to much either.

      • Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        America has quite a network still for monitoring mosquito borne diseases like West Nile virus o believe. Mosquito control is like, a multi-million dollar industry there, if not multi-billion.

    • Magnor@lemmy.magnor.ovh
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      1 year ago

      Well, it’s been an issue since 2017 at the very latest, and they have done jack shit so I guess you have your answer.

      Macron and his government are only concerned with their international image. They don’t give a shit about what their people think of them, as we have seen time and again. So yes, whatever measures they end up taking will only be there so that people abroad still come for the Olympics. If the French get anything out of it, it will be as an unintended side effect.