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CNN journalist Larry Madowo surprised his fans on Facebook after revealing the reason for choosing to stand inside a public train.
Madowo posted a picture of himself standing inside a crowded train with seated passengers, stating that he was in France.
He mentioned that public transportation in France has been known to have bedbugs, which was the main reason he opted to travel standing instead of sitting, fearing the possibility of encountering bedbugs at the end of the journey.
"I didn't want to sit in these Paris metro seats full of bedbugs!" Madowo exclaimed.
It's worth noting that in October last year, various media outlets worldwide reported on the bedbug nuisance in the French capital, Paris.
The infestation began before Paris Fashion Week when reports surfaced about an increased presence of the bugs in homes, cinemas, trains, and even hospitals.
The city is no stranger to travelers—Paris is the most visited city globally, with 44 million tourists in 2022.
Nor is it unfamiliar with bedbugs: between 2017 and 2022, more than one in ten households in France reported being attacked by bedbugs, according to ANSES, the French health and safety agency.
However, ANSES reports that the "increase in bedbug attacks in recent years is mainly due to increased travel and increased bedbug resistance to insecticides."
In other words, these bedbugs have evolved into more robust bugs: they have adapted to create defense mechanisms against certain chemicals used to exterminate them.
These insects typically reside in mattresses and bed frames, lying in wait for humans to sleep before crawling and feeding on blood for their sustenance.
But they can also travel through humans, hitchhiking on clothing, luggage, and personal belongings to explore new horizons worldwide.
