A group of 40 teenagers from Flemish Brabant that went on a holiday organised by the Christian health mutual CM's youth holiday service Kazou were forced out of the youth hostel they were staying in by a plague of bedbugs. The youngsters that have since returned home had to spend the latter part of their vacation in tents after an infestation of bedbugs at the youth hostel meant that they were no longer able to sleep in their rooms.
The teenagers were staying at the youth hostal in Monza, just outside the northern Italian city of Monza. Kazou’s Lieselotte Vleminckx told VRT News that "When bedbugs were found in some of the rooms we and the youth hostel looked at what measures needed to be taken. From then on the rooms could no longer be used”.
However, tackling the infestation proved more difficult than initially thought."We were unable to get rid of the bedbugs. We put up tents for our youngsters so that they no longer had to sleep in the rooms", Ms Vleminckx said.
The teenagers returned home on Monday. "We informed their parents straight away. The holidaymakers had to wash their cloths at 60°C. We also advised them to be cautious on their return and for example to unpack their suitcase outside and to check everything thoroughly”.
Kazou has used the youth hostel for many years and it has a good reputation. "We have been going there for years, but we have decided not to there again for the rest of the summer. It has long been one of our partners and is a nice centre in a beautiful region”.