More than 500 native chikungunya cases in France since May - where?
A popular seaside town has become the unwitting centre of an unprecedented outbreak
A few towns in the south and southeast have been worst-hit
Pawich Sattalerd / Shutterstock / ConnexionFrance / SPF / Datawrapper
The town of Antibes in southeast France is experiencing the largest outbreak of chikungunya ever seen in the country, new figures show, in what has been dubbed an “unprecedented situation in France”.
The Mediterranean town has seen 103 native cases of the virus, making it the country’s largest hotspot, show figures from health authority Santé publique France (SPF). Overall, the most-affected regions are Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Occitanie.
‘Native’ means cases in which sufferers had not travelled abroad but had become infected on French soil.
The biggest hotspots for native cases nationwide are:
Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes (103 cases)
Bergerac, Dordogne (81 cases)
Fréjus, Var (67 cases)
Vitrolles, Bouches-du-Rhône (46 cases)
Eybens, Isère (35 cases)
Poulx-Caveirac, Gard (21 cases).
“We have been expecting it for some time, with cases tending to increase slightly year after year,” said Eric Duplay, the deputy mayor in charge of health in Antibes, to FranceInfo. He explained that this year, year, the outbreak had begun after a resident returned from a trip to Madagascar (a typical hotspot).
“Bad luck for the town,” said Mr Duplay.
Record national spread
Nationwide, there have been 570 native cases recorded in France as a whole since the start of May this year, figures from SPF show.
The unprecedented spread in France has been caused by the “adaptation of the viral strain to the mosquito vector and to environmental conditions favourable to mosquito reproduction”, SPF has said in an update.
“Such early onset of the mosquito season and such a high number of episodes have not been observed before,” it said, with warmer temperatures due to climate change cited as a factor.
Figures show that since the beginning of 2025:
More than 1,900 cases of chikungunya (both imported and native) have been detected in mainland France
This includes 993 between May 1 and September 22 alone.
In comparison, only around 30 cases were reported over the past two years, including just one native case, show figures from SPF.
Chikungunya is one of the illnesses spread by tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus), along with dengue fever, and zika. Tiger mosquitoes have been detected in every region of France after first appearing in the country in 2004. Tiger mosquito activity can last from May until the end of November.
Chikungunya symptoms typically appear around a week after a bite by an infected mosquito. They include:
High fever
Severe joint paint
Headache
Nausea
Fatigue
Skin rash
No treatment of the virus exists, and people affected can only treat the symptoms (for example, by taking paracetamol). Most people recover from the virus within two weeks, although in some rare cases there can be complications that affect the eyes, heart, and nervous system. Deaths are very rare.
How to prevent chikungunya
Vaccines exist but have not until now been advised. However this year, health authority le Haut conseil de santé publique changed its advice for travellers going to a hotspot area.
The European Medicines Agency has now authorised the use of the vaccine Ixchiq among people aged 65 and over. Another vaccine exists too: Vimkunya, but it has not yet been officially recommended to travellers in France.
The best way to protect against the virus is to avoid being bitten by a tiger mosquito. This is particularly important for those who cannot be vaccinated, or who are particularly vulnerable (including those with chronic illnesses, the immunocompromised, people over 65, and pregnant women).
Advice includes:
People who live in, travel to or return from the French overseas island of La Réunion are particularly advised to watch out for any symptoms. More than 54,000 cases have been identified there since the start of the year, with 40 deaths, states Santé publique France. All of those who died had underlying health conditions and were aged over 65.
If you think that you have been infected after having been bitten by a mosquito, or become ill after returning to Europe from a hotspot area, it is recommended to tell your doctor immediately.
