2023-11-09 20:36:03
From France to South Korea. If it was Paris before, now Seoul seems to be the capital of the heart for bed bugs. So much appreciated by the parasite, that it decided to take up residence in university dormitories in the metropolis and in goshiwon, the typical ‘burial houses’ made up of a single room of a few square metres. South Korea appears to have been hit by a bed bug epidemic, and the government is scrambling to fight them. According to what ‘Cnbc’ reports online, the country has recorded a record of infestations as has not happened for decades, since “the distribution of pesticides became widespread in the 1970s”, we read in an official note. “Resistant bedbugs have recently spread to other countries and are also flocking to Korea with the increase in foreign tourists post-Covid.”
The first observation was made “in a sauna in Incheon, which was closed,” the statement continued. An outbreak was reported in a dormitory at Keimyung University in the city of Daegu in September. And the number of suspected bed bug cases has risen to 30, of which more than half are in the capital. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, only 9 cases had been recorded in the past ten years. The forecast is that the number of reports will increase.
To combat the infestation, the South Korean government is launching a 4-week campaign to carry out inspections and implement pest control measures in ‘vulnerable’ public facilities such as bathhouses, dormitories and childcare facilities, for example.
Facilities where the presence of bedbugs is suspected will be immediately disinfected. South Korea’s People Power Party said it will consider whether or not to disclose facilities where bedbugs are present due to “concerns about secondary damage” that could result. The battle against the insects that appear to have become more resistant will not be easy, they admit, and they are even considering using a different pesticide.
South Korea’s travel industry has also taken the field in the fight against micro-enemies: Korea Airports Corporation has declared that it intends to double the frequency of checks in the most at-risk areas such as terminal lounges, children’s playgrounds and the airport baggage screening area, once to twice a week at the country’s airports. Hotels will also be checked for compliance with hygiene standards, including mandatory disinfection. And the subway trains will be subjected to disinfections with a frequency that will be increased from the current 9 times to 30 times per year. Meanwhile, word of mouth spread among the population. The alarm is spreading on social media and among X users there are those who announce that for the moment they will avoid cinemas to stay safe from possible ‘attacks’.
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