South Korea rolls out 4-week plan to curb escalating bedbug infestations

South Korea is pulling out all the stops to tame a wave of

bedbug infestations

. Over the next four weeks, the government will carry out massive inspections and take preventive measures to curb the infestations.

The country reported a rise in bedbugs infestations in recent months. The reddish-brown, wingless parasites have been seen in lodging facilities, bathhouses and other places across the country deemed “vulnerable” to the pest, such as public transportation and dormitories.

A student reported being bitten by bedbugs in a dormitory at Keimyung University in Daegu in mid-September. The following month, live bedbugs and larvae were found in a sauna in the Seo-gu in Incheon.

Bedbugs have also been reported in Bucheon, Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul, and Busan.

From October to Nov 6, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency had also received a total of 11 bedbug-related reports.

The number of confirmed or suspected cases of bedbug appearances has risen to about 30 nationwide on Tuesday, according to government data, reported Yonhap.

From Nov 13 to Dec 8, the government will conduct inspections of bedbugs at vulnerable facilities such as in public transportation, dormitories and bathhouses.

Facilities with bedbugs will be disinfected immediately, according to the government’s plan, reported Yonhap news agency on Tuesday.

Under the plan, the government will also convene weekly meetings to review and update measures to contain bedbug infestations.

In Gyeonggi province, authorities plan to inspect more than 5,000 accommodations and saunas by the end of November.

Bedbugs do not transmit infectious diseases. However, they feed on human blood at night while people are sleeping and this can lead to secondary skin infections.

During the day, the parasites usually hide in places such as the seams of mattresses, inside cracks or crevices, behind wallpaper or any other clutter around a bed.

Moving forward, the number of reported cases will likely increase, said a government official who was not named in the Yonhap report.

“There are perceptions that bedbugs are attributable to individuals and some refrain from filing a report (because of) concerns it may be seen as a sign of bad hygiene. The number of reports is expected to increase,” said the official.

The government said it will push to import more effective pesticides and conduct a study on the infection route of bedbugs and their resistance to pest control.

The measures were prepared in a government-wide meeting that was attended by various ministries, as well as 17 metropolitan and provincial governments.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has began inspecting more than 3,000 public baths, saunas, hotels and other establishments.

The city government has also enhanced preventive measures against bedbugs on airport limousines and city tour buses.

“We will enhance pre-emptive measures as bedbugs cause serious damage economically and psychologically,” said Ms Park Yoo-mi, an official in charge of citizens’ health at the city government.

The bedbug infections have spooked people in the country such as Mr Lim Myung-woo, who runs a private English and mathematics academy with his wife in Incheon.

The 37-year-old told The Korea Times he and his wife have stopped going to the cinemas. “We used to see movies at reduced admission fees in the morning, because we open our academy in the afternoon. But we decided to stop going to theaters for a while as we are worried about bedbug bites or carrying them to our workplace or home,” he said.

Another person who is concerned with the current bedbug infestation in the country is Seoul-based office worker Kim Jin-hye.

The 40-year-old saw a bug on a curtain in her living room and thought that it was bedbug, reported The Korea Times.

“My husband caught the bug and told me it wasn’t a bedbug. That was a big relief,” said Ms Kim.

“But I am always worried about my husband who frequently goes on business trips across the country – (during) the trips, he has no choice but to stay at accommodations when there are many reports about bedbugs nationwide.”