Last year, 72,000 consultations with a general practitioner were linked to bed bugs.
It has (again) become a public health problem in France. According to a new study conducted by the Sentinelles health surveillance network, no less than 72,000 consultations with a general practitioner were linked to bed bugs between April 2019 and March 2020.
“The incidence of consultations related to bedbugs, although moderate, shows that the problem can affect the entire population, regardless of age, gender and region, with a spring‐summer upsurge ”, note the authors of the study.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia
Very widespread before the Second World War, bedbugs gradually disappeared during the second half of the 20and century in developed countries, thanks to modern insecticides and the overall increase in social and economic standards. However, the banning of dangerous insecticides, the emergence of resistance to bed bug extermination products and the growth of travel have favored an upsurge in cases of infestation.
The bedbug feeds at night, mainly on human blood, and moves from place to place by climbing on our bodies. The bite is usually painless, but the intensity of the local reaction is variable, ranging from simple red spots on the skin to superinfections linked to itching. The impact of bedbugs can also be psychological (depression, anxiety, insomnia). “The clinical consequences of these infestations remain mostly limited to uncomplicated skin lesions. Nevertheless bedbugs can be responsible for psychological distress and impact on activities in a significant number of people. summarize the authors of the research.
Risk of infecting others
“Before I even got home, I put all my things in a plastic bag, I took my computer out of its bag to process it and I isolated everything. For a year, I had to undress before crossing the threshold of the door so as not to ravage mine. Psychologically, it’s hard to tell yourself that you risk contaminating others. Inviting friends to my home was impossible and going to other people’s homes was painful,” testifies in The world a student residing in an infested university city.
For its part, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) confirms that “bedbugs pose health issues and should be fought against them and against their health consequences.”
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