Why was a Qantas Boeing 787 flight cancelled after bed bugs were found?

The Qantas Boeing 787 flight from Rome to Perth was cancelled to allow for deep cleaning of the aircraft after bed bugs infested it during a previous service from Perth to Rome [1]. Passengers on the earlier flight reported being bitten by the bugs during the 17-hour journey, prompting the airline to ground the plane for deep cleaning and fumigation [1, 2]. This left affected travellers stranded for several days whilst waiting for rebooking [2].