Chickenpox spread in eight regions

GPs report growing numbers of chickenpox cases, with the Limousin and northern France among the worst-affected areas

CHICKENPOX cases are on the rise in eight French regions despite children being off school for the summer break.

Figures from GPs' network Sentinelles-Inserm show the Limousin is the worst-hit region, with 191 new cases reported last week for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The other regions reporting a growth in chickenpox are Picardie, Centre, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Brittany and Lorraine.

The Sentinelles-Inserm figures are based on a sample of 1,300 GPs around the country.