France turns to sniffer dogs to hunt for possible bedbugs on trains, subway cars

Sniffer dogs will help inspect French trains and the Paris Metro for bedbugs after dozens of reports of infestations, the country's transport minister said Wednesday, adding that so far not a single bedbug had been found.

Clément Beaune said there had been about 10 traveller reports about bedbugs at Paris public transport operator RATP and 37 at rail operator SNCF in recent weeks.

"When there is a problem, we deal with it, we won't deny it. There is no outbreak of bedbugs in public transport," Beaune said after meeting with transport operators and travel associations.

French social and traditional media have reported extensively about bedbugs on trains and in cinemas, and the government worries about the impact on tourism, particularly ahead of the Paris Olympics, which start in less than a year.

Days ago, Emmanuel Grégoire, the deputy mayor of Paris, wrote to French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, calling for the government to "urgently" come up with an action plan on the bedbugs issue.

Quarterly updates to come

Beaune said all French public transport operators will boost health procedures in general and the fight against bedbugs in particular, notably with canine sniffer teams, which he said were the most effective means of detection.

He added that every three months, data will be published about all bedbug reports and any confirmed infestations.

"Total transparency will bring total confidence," he said, adding that there was "no need for psychosis or fear."

Beaune also plans to meet pest control companies and aims to organize a conference about solutions to any potential problem by the end of this month.