South Korea has become the latest country to declare war on bedbugs following a wave of outbreaks, with bathhouses, university dorms, and train stations across the country on high alert.

Thirty suspected or confirmed infestations have been reported since the end of October, prompting the government to announce a four-week campaign aimed at eradicating the bloodsucking pests.

Previously, the country had been practically free of bedbugs following past extermination campaigns, with just nine infestations being reported to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA) since 2014.

The sudden resurgence of the pests, which follows reports of similar outbreaks in France and the United Kingdom and an increase in cases in the United States, is spreading alarm among members of the public, with social media awash with pictures and accounts of people’s encounters with the insects.

Pest control firms have reported being inundated with requests for help while some websites have created dedicated sections to the problem, offering users a place to share tips on how to deal with the pests, with suggestions ranging from avoiding the cinema to standing on public transport. Some of the comments reflect both the fear and confusion of a public that has largely not needed to deal with the pests for many years.

“Should I throw away all electronics if I spot a bedbug,” asked a user on one website, while another wondered: “If I put double-sided tape around my mattress, would that stop the bugs getting on me?”

Another said simply: “I’d rather have the COVID than bedbugs.”

While bedbugs do not spread diseases, the itching from their bites can cause a loss of sleep and secondary skin infections if people scratch them too hard. Being bitten by one of the insects — which are less than 1 cm in diameter — can also be seen as socially embarrassing.

In the capital of Seoul, the city government is launching a new “Bedbug Reporting and Management System” and a “Zero Bedbugs City, Seoul” initiative, under which it says it will inspect 3,175 lodging facilities, bathhouses, and jjimjilbangs (Korean saunas with rooms of varying temperatures).

The city has said it will also provide pest control support for small housing units known as jjokbang or gosiwon, which typically measure around 3-6 square meters and house some of Seoul’s poorest residents.

Other areas deemed high-risk include subways and cinemas. The government says its campaign will include periodic steam-cleaning of subway seats.

“Bedbugs are developing resistance to the insecticides that we commonly use, so the most effective solution these days is heating,” said Lee Si-hyeock, professor of Agricultural Biotechnology at Seoul National University.(SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【侵染】qīnrǎn infestation the spreading and swarming of parasites

【泛滥】fànlàn awash with filled, covered, or completely overrun as if by a flood

继臭虫在多个国家肆虐后，近日韩国也开始对臭虫宣战，各地的澡堂、大学宿舍和火车站都对臭虫高度戒备，严阵以待。

截至10月底，已发现30例疑似或确认的臭虫叮咬事件，韩国政府为此宣布了一个为期四周的除虫计划。

先前，经过多轮灭虫运动，韩国已基本上见不到臭虫的踪影，自2014年以来，韩国疾病控制与预防中心只收到过9例臭虫报告。

继法国、英国臭虫泛滥，美国臭虫数量也与日俱增。而今臭虫在韩国突然泛滥，公众感到恐慌。社交媒体上到处是关于臭虫的图片和描述。

除虫公司收到了铺天盖地的服务订单，一些网站则专门开设版块应对臭虫问题，让用户分享经验，比如不去电影院、或者在公交工具上站着。

有些留言反映出韩国民众的恐慌和困惑，大部分人已经多年没受到过臭虫的困扰。

一名用户在网上问：“如果发现一只臭虫，我是不是应该把电子产品都扔掉？”另一个人问：“如果床垫周围都缠上双面胶，臭虫是不是就咬不到我了？”

还有人干脆说：“我宁愿得新冠肺炎也不要被臭虫咬。”

尽管臭虫不会传播疾病，但被臭虫咬过奇痒无比会导致失眠，如果挠得太厉害，还会导致继发性皮肤感染。被臭虫（直径不到1厘米）咬也是一件让人难堪的事情。

在韩国首都首尔，市政府发布了新的“臭虫报告与管理系统”和

“零臭虫城市计划”，将检查3175家住宿设施、澡堂和桑拿房。

首尔市政府表示，将会为考试院等小型住房提供除虫支援，这种房子通常只有3到6平方米，是首尔穷人居住的地方。

其他高风险地区还包括地铁和电影院。政府表示，除虫活动将包括对地铁座椅定期进行蒸汽清洁。

国立首尔大学农业生物技术系教授李思赫表示：“臭虫对常用的杀虫剂已经产生了耐药性，现在最有效的是高温除虫。”

(Translated by Debra)