An official of the Dutch swim team wears a mask during the Olympics at Paris La Defense Arena, July 31 (local time). Health authorities in Korea are stepping up efforts to stave off contagious diseases and pest infestations as the nation's athletes and tens of thousands of tourists are expected to return from the Paris Olympics in the coming weeks. Newsis

The government is stepping up efforts to stave off contagious diseases and pest infestations as the nation's athletes and tens of thousands of tourists are expected to return from the Paris Olympics in the coming weeks, according to health authorities, Thursday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said its officials are strengthening biosecurity measures for airport facilities while stepping up monitoring of international travelers, particularly those coming from the French capital.

As part of the efforts, all aircraft on the Paris-Incheon route will now be disinfected once a week rather than monthly. High-risk areas at airports, such as transit lounges and arrival halls, will also be sanitized more frequently.

"So far, no cases of infectious disease or pest infestation that would need special attention have been reported," a senior official at the agency's quarantine policy department told The Korea Times. "Quarantine officers are now on increased alert amid reports about contagious diseases in that country and other parts of Europe … Starting today, special inspections will continue until end of the Paralympics (Aug. 28 – Sept. 8)."

This comes as Korea's 234-member delegation, representatives of Olympic sponsors as well as other visitors are returning before and after the end of the Summer Olympics on Aug. 11. In France, at least 40 athletes have so far contracted COVID-19, and increased cases of measles, whooping cough, syphilis and other infectious diseases have also been reported recently.

The risk from overseas brings up further concerns in Korea at a time when health authorities here are scrambling to contain the spread of COVID-19, whooping cough and other diseases amid an "alarming increase" in cases in recent weeks.

It is unclear how many Koreans have visited France during the international sporting event. But according to travel analytics firm ForwardKeys, visitors from Korea, along with China and Japan, topped the list of trips originating from Asia-Pacific nations bound for Paris between July 24 and Aug. 11.

Ceco, Korea's first commissioned bedbug-sniffing dog, checks baggage at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Newsis

Preventing bedbug infestations from France is another focus of the KDCA's efforts.

In collaboration with airport operators, airline companies and pest control company CESCO, the KDCA has installed bedbug traps in baggage claim zones and will operate a booth where people can have their luggage checked and disinfected thoroughly.

At that booth, Ceco, Korea's first commissioned bedbug-sniffing dog is expected to play a major role. The beagle is known to be able to find bedbugs in all life stages, from eggs to adults, with an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent.

The dog has been trained for that purpose after a plague of bedbugs hit Seoul and other Korean cities last year, provoking a wave of insectophobia and health worries.

Bedbugs are not known to spread infectious diseases to humans, but feed on blood, causing skin rashes, itchiness and allergic symptoms.

A surge in bedbug sightings made headlines in France just months ahead of the Olympics. A report released by a French government agency showed more than one in 10 households in the country reported bedbug infestations between 2017 and 2022.

"Once spread (in Korea), it is very challenging to eradicate bedbugs. So it's critical to prevent it in the first place," Lee Han-kyung, head of the disaster management office of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said in a statement. "In collaboration with private companies, we will take pre-emptive actions by strengthening measures to stave them off at airports."