Seoul (South Korea): Athletes from across the globe participated in the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics. As many as 144 athletes from South Korea participated in the Olympics in 23 sports.
Usually in the Olympics, when the competition is over, the athletes return to their country. It was the same for the South Korean athletes too. But upon their arrival, a strange thing was awaiting the athletes. A sniffer dog trained to detect bedbugs to prevent a possible infestation was deployed by the South Korean authorities to check the luggage of the athletes returning from the world's largest sporting event held in Paris, France.
The South Korean government in a statement had said, "As the global community is gathering in Paris, France, on the occasion of the 2024 Summer Olympics Games, there's a chance bedbugs will enter the country following the event."
"Therefore, we are taking preemptive response to intercept the entry through the Incheon International Airport, which is the main gateway to the country," it had said.
Bedbugs are parasite insects, that are micropredators that feed on blood, usually at night. Their bites can result in a number of health impacts, including skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms. Bedbug bites may lead to skin changes ranging from small areas of redness to prominent blisters.
The sniffer dog, named Ceco, was deployed at the main airport in Seoul as part of an initiative between the government and South Korea's largest pest control company, Cesco.
Ceco, a two-year-old beagle, is trained to detect the smell of pheromones unique to bedbugs and can locate the blood-sucking pests within two minutes with an accuracy rate of 95 per cent, Cesco said in a statement.
"From August 9 to September 8 -- the day the Paralympics concludes -- bedbug detection dog services will be available at Incheon Airport for those who wish to utilise them," said a spokesperson for the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
The initiative also includes bedbug control experts with more than 10 years of experience to help search luggage. Aircraft disinfection has also been increased from once a month to once a week, focusing on the Paris-Incheon route.
The company has joined hands with the Ministries of Security and Transportation and the Disease Prevention Agency. South Korea had been largely bedbug-free for years but infestations rose as travel rebounded after the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 950 cases were reported between November and February, official statistics show.
Paris struggled with a bedbug outbreak last year, with a surge of reported sightings sending a shudder through France during the summer and autumn and prompting several school closures.
South Korea went through a period of national hysteria in 2023 after reports of suspected infestations at micro-apartments, motel rooms and a traditional spa called a 'jimjilbang' and it conducted a disinfection campaign.
South Korea was at the eighth spot in the medals tally and it won 32 medals, including 13 gold medals. The country also won nine silver medals and 10 bronze medals in the 2024 Paris Games. (With inputs from AFP)
