Taiwanese travelers to Japan witness bed bugs in hotels and subway cars
An inter-city bed bug disaster is brewing in Japan, with crawly critters being found on hotel blankets and even in the seats of metro carriages. To make matters worse, these super bed bugs seem to be resistant to ordinary pesticides. But not all is lost for Taiwanese travelers, because by following a few travel tips and simple medical advice they should be able to overcome the creatures that might be waiting for them in Japan.
On a trip to Japan, a Taiwanese traveler was not pleased to find that parasitic guests had already checked into his room, which resulted in him quickly changing rooms. So, what were waiting on the sheets of the hotel bed? Bed bugs that bite — literally.
But these biting bugs aren’t just hiding in hotel rooms, as they’ve even been found taking free trips on Japan’s metro system. With the bed bug disaster spreading around places like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kanagawa, Japanese netizens have unleashed their worries on their keyboards, saying they won’t go anywhere near a subway carriage. Local cleaning experts have even worse news: regular pesticides are hardly a match for this wave of super strong bed bugs.
943
Travel writer
Don’t underestimate this type of bed bug because of its small size. They’re actually really good at crawling, so if you don’t inspect your luggage or if your bags are made of fabric, or if you don’t have them closed tightly, then these bugs could potentially crawl into your bag by going through the zipper, and then head back to Taiwan with you.
This travel aficionado provided a helpful bed bug briefing: these crawly critters like to get into mattress cracks and small spaces between chair and sofa cushions. So before checking into a hotel, tourists should first inspect their accommodation’s interior. She also suggested that clothing that has been worn should be washed in hot water and then put in a dryer.
Tsai Yi-shan
Dermatologist
The first thing is hurry up and get a cold compress on it. Now, the second thing is, if there are bites on your hands, then you can apply a slightly stronger topical anti-itch cream or possibly some mint. Or doctors could prescribe you some steroid-based ointments. You can try out all of these options.
If rashes or blisters form because of bed bug bites, the skin doctor reminded people to never scratch the bumps, as this could potentially break the skin. If symptoms persist for more than a week or if the swelling doesn’t subside, visit a doctor.
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2024-03-12
