Editorial | Bedbugs are least of Hong Kong’s worries
- Blood-sucking critters may be nasty, but a single sighting of the parasite on an Airport Express train should not cause panic; after all, they have existed for millennia
As if there were not enough things to keep us tossing and turning at night, many Hongkongers are itching to hunt down bedbugs after an unverified photo of one of the pests hitching a ride on an Airport Express train seat went viral online recently.
The parasitic, nocturnal bloodsuckers the size of apple seeds have been unwelcome guests on planet Earth for millennia. Generations of children have heard their parents say goodnight with the phrase “sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite”.
The insects are found everywhere and mostly ignored except by their unlucky hosts. They made headlines in recent months as travel picked up after Covid-19 restrictions were eased.
Places like South Korea, Paris and London have reported large-scale outbreaks.
It has been astonishing to see how a single social media post has left many believing Hong Kong is about to join them. There are reports of some citizens panic buying insect killers or rushing to inquire about pest control services.
Understandably, officials do not want to be caught dozing and have swung into action with preventive measures to squash any potential outbreak of bedbugs or bad press.