According to data published on Wednesday by the Sentinelles network, Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur (PACA) is the second region in France most affected so far this season by the flu epidemic, with 344 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

One symptom of this winter’s strain of the infection is acute diarrhoea, which has affected 243 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in mainland France.

The hardest hit department in France is Pays de la Loire (355), with Brittany taking third place with 262 flu cases per 100,000 inhabitants. During the first nine weeks of this winter’s epidemic, 1.24 million people have consulted a general practitioner for gastroenteritis.

Several dozen deaths have been reported across France and the epidemic is particularly dangerous for older people and those already weakened by other ailments.

READ ALSO: Many milestones for Monaco hospital
READ ALSO: Barclays Monaco: an active commitment to children