Doctors warn of chickenpox spread

Number of reported cases has grown since last week in several regions of France, with Limousin worst-affected.

CHICKENPOX is on the rise in many parts of France, doctors have warned.

GPs' network Sentinelles-Inserm said it had seen a strong growth in the number of cases of the highly contagious illness since last week.

The Limousin has been the worst-hit region, with 100 new cases for every 100,000 inhabitants.

Other affected regions include the Nord-Pas-de-Calais (97 cases), Brittany (92), Rhône-Alpes (64) and Languedoc-Roussillon (55).

The nationwide average last week was 51 cases per 100,000 population.

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

Jaren Wicklund - Fotolia.com