Algeria braces for invasion of bed bugs from France
Algerian officials are intensifying health measures at border crossing points to prevent the spread of bed bugs, which are currently afflicting France.
There are fears that the blood-sucking insects could enter Algeria due to the high number of people traveling to the country from France.
On Thursday, the Algerian Health Ministry announced the “application of international health regulations in anticipation of the spread of any epidemiological development.”
In its statement, the ministry said the procedures consist of “health monitoring and disinfecting of aircraft, ships, and means of land transportation in the event of a threat noticed by employees of border health control centers.”
However, Algerian Health Minister Abdelhak Saihi denied that bed bugs had been detected in the North African country.
Meanwhile, measures have already been announced in neighboring Morocco to limit the risk of bed bugs spreading to its territory.
On Monday, a passenger ship from Marseille that had arrived in Tangier was suspected of being infected by the insects. In response, port authorities implemented a health and environmental vigilance system. The incident underlined the importance of strict health and safety measures in the face of continuing risks associated with international trade and travel. Ultimately, no bed bugs were found on the ship, the ministry said.
On Tuesday, Morocco's Ministry of Health and Social Affairs announced that it would collaborate with several state bodies responsible for the border to improve the health monitoring system.
News about the parasites appeared at the height of Fashion Week in Paris, which started on September 25, and with less than a year to go before the Olympics. The bed-bug invasion was first detected last summer, when they were spotted in a large number of hotels.
French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau urged the public on Tuesday not to panic about the spread of bed bugs.
Various social media platforms have posted dozens of shocking videos on the spread of bed bugs in buses, trains, airports, and other public places in Paris.
