Did Social Media Hype Spark Bedbug Hysteria in Paris?

It started as a trickle of complaints during Paris Fashion Week in late September — reports on social media of bedbugs crawling on seats in the metro, lurking in hotel rooms and infesting apartments. Then the trickle turned into a flood, with panicked fashionistas warning others about the pests on Twitter and TikTok and posting stomach-churning photos of infested mattresses tossed on sidewalks.

The bedbug hysteria went viral, amplified by screaming tabloid headlines and intense media coverage as outlets from Le Monde to the BBC sounded the alarm. Anxious citizens petitioned the government to act, and officials responded with promises of a vigorous extermination campaign. Other European capitals readied their defenses, fearing an invasion from across the Channel. “No one is safe,” warned the deputy mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire. “Bedbugs have not invaded France,” insisted the health minister, Aurélien Rousseau, pleading for calm.

But according to entomologists, exterminators and many travelers, reports of a raging bedbug epidemic in Paris or anywhere else in Europe appear to be greatly exaggerated. While infestations do occur, there is little evidence so far of a major expansion in their population or range this year. Rather, observers say, the recent frenzy appears to have been fed by social media panic and sensationalized media coverage more than an actual surge in the pests.

“I expect somebody happened to notice it, and for one reason or another, it just happened to bring this to the media’s attention during Fashion Week,” said Zach DeVries, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky. “Bedbugs really grab people’s attention.” The bedbug scare offers a cautionary tale about the power of social media to inflate a few isolated reports into an apparent crisis. It also serves as an important reminder of the need for vigilance when traveling, as bedbugs remain a stubborn nuisance. But entomologists emphasize there is no cause for travelers to cancel plans or descend into hysterics.

“It’s being cognizant and aware that they could be there but not being paranoid to the point where you don’t travel or do things anymore,” said Mr. DeVries. “You can balance your travel with a healthy perspective.”

The triggers: Fashion Week and social media

The bedbug frenzy appears to have originated during Paris Fashion Week from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3, when Twitter users posted photos and videos of the parasites on metro seats with warnings to other riders. These posts quickly went viral, amplified by alarmist headlines in tabloids like the Daily Star declaring that “Savage bed bugs take over Paris in scenes akin to horror film.”

Some media outlets published stories without much context about historical bedbug rates. A widely circulated statistic claimed over 10 percent of French households had experienced an infestation within five years — but had no comparative data. Nonetheless, the coverage spurred panic, with some Eurostar riders donning hazmat suits in fear of infested trains from Paris.

Officials pledged urgent action, and President Emmanuel Macron’s party vowed to introduce an anti-bedbug bill. The alarm spread to London, Amsterdam, Brussels and other European capitals. Some Airlines like Air France vowed vigilance.

But entomologists cautioned that no data showed bedbugs were worse this year than previously. Rick Pollack of Harvard said anecdotes among colleagues were mixed, with some declaring an epidemic while others saw little change. He warned the media coverage was distorted and said he saw no signs of infestation during his own recent trip across Western Europe.

Reality on the ground: No bug bonanza

The disconnect between the frenzied media narrative and reality on the ground is borne out in accounts from travelers who have visited Paris in recent weeks. Rather than encountering ravenous swarms of bedbugs, they report no unusual vermin activity.

Zeina Nehme, a Lebanese dermatologist based in Beirut, stayed in a friend’s 17th arrondissement apartment for a long weekend during Paris Fashion Week. Aware of the media reports, she deliberately searched for bedbugs, hoping to film one for an educational social media video. She came up empty.

“I searched for one to take pics and do the reel. Nothing,” Dr. Nehme said. She saw no signs of infestation on public transit or in restaurants either.

Cynthia Starkey, an American lawyer from Phoenix, also closely monitored for bedbugs during a recent trip to Paris with her daughter. She saw no evidence of them in their Airbnb lodging or elsewhere in the city. Back home, her worried sister had texted false rumors of the 2024 Paris Olympics being canceled over bedbugs.

“If she wasn’t concerned, I’m not either,” Ms. Starkey said of her sanguine teenage daughter.

Such accounts indicate that while bedbugs surely exist in Paris, as in major cities globally, there is little support so far for claims of an uncontrolled epidemic. Nonetheless, officials remain on alert about the potential for spread. Mr. Macron’s party is still vowing anti-bedbug legislation. Airlines are monitoring planes, and Eurostar reportedly introduced bedbug-sniffing beagles.

Precautions, not paranoia

Rather than spurring mass cancellations, experts say the media storm offers a teachable moment about vigilant hotel room inspections and other bedbug precautions - without succumbing to overblown anxiety.

“The hype might, in some way, be contributing to the level of recognition, fear and fear-mongering,” said Mr. Pollack, the Harvard entomologist.

Travelers should examine hotel mattresses and linens for small dark stains and pungent sweet odors. Keeping luggage off floors reduces risk. Heat-drying clothes kill bugs. Freezing bags for weeks also works.

Immediately reporting infestations helps prompt extermination and secure refunds. But compensation claims require evidence like photos, so don’t delay flagging issues.

Bedbugs are time-consuming and expensive to eradicate, so caution makes sense. But letting isolated incidents morph into a hysteria bubble does not. The reality on the ground in Paris implies there is no cause yet for Swedes or Germans to fear riding the train there, let alone for events like the 2024 Olympics requiring relocation.

With care and perspective, travelers can continue enjoying Parisian croissants without wearing a hazmat suit.

“It’s nowhere near as bad as what you’re hearing,” Mr. Pollack said.

Balanced caution, not mass panic - that is the sage advice from entomologists as Europe grapples with the specter of bedbugs. Keep calm and carry on. There is no reason yet for this pest to derail your travel plans or dreams.