HEADLINES warning holidaymakers about a plague of bloodsucking bed bugs at hotels across Spain appeared this weekend in British tabloids.
The reports claimed that popular tourist destinations including Costa Blanca, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands were infested with the insects and putting holiday makers at risk.
But is this true or just another scare story? The Olive Press got on the case to find out the truth.
We put in a call to the Spanish Association of Environmental Health to ask their opinion.
Jorge Galvan, director of ANECPLA confirmed that this year was a particularly bad one for bed bugs but explained that this was a global problem and not just a Spanish one.
“The increase of bed bugs is not only affecting Spain, but it is also affecting every country,” he said.
“The main reason why there are more bed bugs is because of climate change and the increase of temperatures,” he added.
In fact, he warned that it may be the tourists themselves that are the problem, because they are transporting the bugs across borders in their clothes and luggage.
“It’s quite possible there are more bed bugs in the UK than in Spain and that they are brought over to hotels here by the guests themselves,” he said.
The Olive Press also put in a call to a hotel association in Alicante to ask if reports of bed bugs were worse this year than usual?
“That information is totally false, we haven’t received any reports of bed bugs in any of the hotels of Alicante,” insisted a spokesperson.
“It is the first time this year that I have heard about bed bugs this year.” they said.
Likewise, the Spanish health ministry has not issued any warnings regarding bed bugs in hotels across Spain.
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