Algeria’s Health Ministry has proclaimed the enactment of “preventative” measures aimed at averting the spread of any epidemic due to harmful insects such as bedbugs.
These insects have recently surfaced in Paris – a city hosting a substantial Algerian diaspora that travels daily between the two Mediterranean coasts.
Algeria declared, “In coordination with various relevant authorities, the ministry has initiated a health alert system by issuing a memorandum comprising a series of preventative measures that must be adopted to prevent the spread of any epidemic development or any other damage resulting from harmful insects like bedbugs.”
he Algerian health ministry announced “the activation of a health vigilance system” alongside a series of measures to prevent any infestation linked to harmful insects.
It said the measures would include “inspections and disinfection of airplanes, ships and land transportation… and the strengthening of epidemiological monitoring”.
They would be preceded by the “cleaning and sanitizing of airports, seaports, and land entries, inspection and sanitizing baggage and merchandise liable to contain harmful insects”.
The resurgence of bedbugs in Paris has particularly ignited a state of panic among the residents of the French capital, despite government reassurances that there is no evidence of the appearance of these insects, which have been absent from cities since the 1950s.
With approximately 10 flights per day connecting Algeria and Paris, considering that the largest Algerian community abroad resides in France, these preventative steps are pivotal in safeguarding against a potential infestation traveling across borders.
French Leader Emmanuel Macron has increasingly been cosying up to Algeria as he sought to secure additional gas supplies in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Fear of the bugs has caused panic in France, with the government under pressure from all sides as the 2024 Paris Olympics loom.
