Irish rugby fans warned of bedbug risk in Paris ahead of New Zealand clash 

The French government has been forced to step in to calm a nation increasingly anxious about bedbugs. Picture: AP

The HSE has warned Irish fans returning from Rugby World Cup matches in Paris not to bring luggage or clothing into their homes without checking it carefully for bloodsucking bedbugs.

An expert has also advised fans staying in the French capital to pull back bedsheets and check the mattresses for bloodstains, which would suggest the presence of insects.