Health officials battle bedbug infestations in South Korea

Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Health officials in Seoul are battling bedbug infestations reported across South Korea, and have set aside 500 million won ($383,000) and a response team to battle the blood sucking insects.

At least 30 outbreaks or infestations have been confirmed in Seoul, the capital and in the cities of Busan and Incheon.

Bedbugs have also caused public alarm recently in France and the UK.

In South Korea, bedbug infestations were reported at a university in Daegu city and later in tourist accommodations and a public sauna. The fear of bedbugs has kept South Koreans out of cinemas and prompted residents to avoid public transportation.

Some residents who have continued to use public transport have said they will stand and avoid fabric seats while the bedbugs are a problem.

The government has tried to prevent the spread by steam cleaning and sterilizing buses, subways and taxis and examining low-income housing areas, accommodations and bath houses where bedbugs are more likely to spread.

Officials are scheduled to inspect 3,200 public facilities, including hotels and bathhouses, to assess their sanitary conditions.

"Based on the experience of disinfection management during the pandemic, the government is going all-out in providing safe transportation to citizens," Yoon Jong-jang, who is in charge of Seoul city's transportation, told ABC News.

Until the recent outbreaks occurred, Koreans had considered bedbugs eradicated following a national examination campaign in the 1960s.

While reports continue to come in, public health officials are trying to find additional ways to address the problem and residents have been descending on public health centers to be tested, checked for bites or other signs of infestation, have their questions answered, or hope that authorities will quell nagging fears.

Bedbugs don't transmit disease, but their bites can cause extreme itching which can then be complicated by scratching, which can lead to skin irritations and infection.

Officials in Seoul have recommended using certain types of pesticides to eradicate of the wingless pests, but some recent studies have deemed them ineffective.

Bedbugs often gather near beds, in mattresses, furniture, or or in crevices, and can also take an extreme emotional toll on people who face infestations in their homes. Victims often report feeling uncomfortable, embarrassed or stigmatized about the bedbugs and sometimes say they are afraid to go to sleep.