With the Paris Olympics less than a year away, French authorities are scrambling to exterminate bedbugs, which have become a growing problem in the country.

Social media users have been sharing footage of the insects crawling around in high-speed trains and the Paris metro, while online articles have reported bedbug infestations in cinemas and even Charles de Gaulle airport.

The problem has reached the highest levels of government, with the capital’s deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, writing to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne calling for an urgent action plan.

Transport Minister Clement Beaune has also said he will discuss the issue with transport operators next week.

At the Paris Gare de Lyon train station, travelers expressed skepticism about the authorities’ ability to get on top of the problem.

“I’m worried about it,” said Laura Mmadi, a sales worker heading to the south of France. “I’ll keep my luggage closed to stop (bedbugs) getting into my home. Once I get home, I’ll have to wash all my clothes.“

Sophie Ruscica, who had just arrived in Paris from Nice, said she had inspected her seat closely for any signs of the insects.

“It stressed me out,” she said. “I had to take the train and I wondered whether I would find bedbugs. But then again, one can find them in cinemas and just about everywhere.“

According to a report published by the French health agency Anses in July, bedbugs have infested more than one in ten French households between 2017 and 2022.

“Everyone is panicking,” said Sacha Krief, the manager of a pest control store. “People can really get depressed, even paranoid over it.”

Deputy Mayor Gregoire has called on insurers to include bedbug cover in house insurance policies, as low-income people rarely have the means to call in pest control firms.