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 相關詞匯 【侵染】qīnrǎn infestation the spreading and swarming of parasites 【泛濫】fànlàn awash with filled, covered, or completely overrun as if by a flood 繼臭蟲在多個國家肆虐后，近日韓國也開始對臭蟲宣戰，各地的澡堂、大學宿舍和火車站都對臭蟲高度戒備，嚴陣以待。 截至10月底，已發現30例疑似或確認的臭蟲叮咬事件，韓國政府為此宣布了一個為期四周的除蟲計劃。 先前，經過多輪滅蟲運動，韓國已基本上見不到臭蟲的蹤影，自2014年以來，韓國疾病控制與預防中心只收到過9例臭蟲報告。 繼法國、英國臭蟲泛濫，美國臭蟲數量也與日俱增。而今臭蟲在韓國突然泛濫，公眾感到恐慌。社交媒體上到處是關于臭蟲的圖片和描述。 除蟲公司收到了鋪天蓋地的服務訂單，一些網站則專門開設版塊應對臭蟲問題，讓用戶分享經驗，比如不去電影院、或者在公交工具上站著。 有些留言反映出韓國民眾的恐慌和困惑，大部分人已經多年沒受到過臭蟲的困擾。 一名用戶在網上問：“如果發現一只臭蟲，我是不是應該把電子產品都扔掉？”另一個人問：“如果床墊周圍都纏上雙面膠，臭蟲是不是就咬不到我了？” 還有人干脆說：“我寧愿得新冠肺炎也不要被臭蟲咬。” 盡管臭蟲不會傳播疾病，但被臭蟲咬過奇癢無比會導致失眠，如果撓得太厲害，還會導致繼發性皮膚感染。被臭蟲（直徑不到1厘米）咬也是一件讓人難堪的事情。 在韓國首都首爾，市政府發布了新的“臭蟲報告與管理系統”和 “零臭蟲城市計劃”，將檢查3175家住宿設施、澡堂和桑拿房。 首爾市政府表示，將會為考試院等小型住房提供除蟲支援，這種房子通常只有3到6平方米，是首爾窮人居住的地方。 其他高風險地區還包括地鐵和電影院。政府表示，除蟲活動將包括對地鐵座椅定期進行蒸汽清潔。 國立首爾大學農業生物技術系教授李思赫表示：“臭蟲對常用的殺蟲劑已經產生了耐藥性，現在最有效的是高溫除蟲。” (Translated by Debra) | 