Sarkozy's Elysée staff have scabies

STAFF working with President Sarkozy and wife Carla at the Elysée Palace have been diagnosed with the highly contagious skin disease scabies.

Three of the palace guard are thought to have contracted the intensely itchy disease because of the cramped and dilapidated condition of their living quarters.

Scabies is more common among the very poor, especially the homeless. There was a large outbreak in the summer at the “Jungle” migrant camp that was outside Calais.

The Elysée outbreak is said to be linked to the squalid staff quarters with some gendarmes sleeping on collapsible beds that were “never aired” according to a source at the Association for the Defence of Military Rights.

The source said bedding was rarely changed and some gendarmes were even buying their own sheets.

Each day there are 35 gendarmes and officers on duty and 16 of them sleep in a room intended for 10.

A spokesman for President Sarkozy said: “Work is currently being carried out in the military quarters in order to prevent people having to live so close together - a common cause of scabies.

“Those suffering with the illness are being treated, while being kept isolated from other staff.”

Mr Sarkozy and Ms Bruni have different living quarters at the Elysée, but rarely sleep there. They use a £2million mansion owned by Ms Bruni in Paris's 16th arrondissement.

Scabies is caused by a tiny mite Arcoptes scabiei which tunnels into the skin and lays eggs which hatch into mites. They cause intense itching. The infection can take up to six weeks to appear.
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