Since the beginning of 2025, France has experienced an unprecedented early and widespread circulation of chikungunya virus, with 30 indigenous cases identified across 12 transmission clusters in metropolitan France as of mid-July. The first indigenous case was reported in the Var department in June, followed by cases in Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône, Corsica, Alsace, Gironde, Landes, and the Grand Est region. Authorities have noted that these cases are the earliest ever recorded in mainland France, linked to a severe ongoing epidemic in Réunion, where nearly 53,750 confirmed cases have been reported since the start of the year. In addition to chikungunya, there have been multiple indigenous dengue fever transmissions detected in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and other regions, with a total of five dengue episodes and 42 combined cases of chikungunya and dengue reported by late July. Preventive measures including mosquito control operations have been implemented in affected areas. Concurrently, France is confronting its first outbreak of lumpy skin disease (dermatose nodulaire contagieuse) in cattle, confirmed in a farm in Savoie in late June 2025. This viral disease affects bovines but is not transmissible to humans. As of late July, 47 outbreaks have been detected across Savoie and Haute-Savoie, involving 24 different farms. Authorities have initiated a national strategy combining vaccination campaigns and culling of infected herds to contain the epidemic. The outbreak has caused significant concern among livestock farmers, with protests against preventive culling measures and economic losses estimated at over one million euros per day. The disease has also prompted vaccination efforts in neighboring regions, including parts of Switzerland. Additionally, measles cases have increased in the Occitanie region, with the first indigenous measles case reported in Réunion since 2019. Zika virus cases remain rare, with one imported case reported in Strasbourg. Overall, the early and simultaneous emergence of multiple vector-borne diseases and livestock infections in France in 2025 has prompted heightened surveillance and public health responses.
France - "As of July 28, 2025, 47 (Lumpy skin disease) outbreaks have been detected in France, spread across two departments" https://t.co/xQMZLr9LhH h/t Pathfinder
"France - Strasbourg: a case of Zika in a person who recently returned from a tropical country" https://t.co/qHK0VlG33d h/t Pathfinder
France - "As of July 29, 2025, 19 episodes of indigenous transmission have been identified in mainland France, 14 episodes of chikungunya (1 to 13 cases per episode), 5 episodes of dengue fever (1 to 2 cases per episode)" https://t.co/F037B8WlCj h/t Pathfinder