While the French authorities have placed the health system on “maximum alert”, no person has to date been diagnosed as carrying the new variant of mpox.
Will the new mpox variant soon reach France? The Minister of Health assures that no person has so far been detected in France as a carrier of the clade 1b variant from the mpox virus, previously called monkeypox, in a communiqué published this Saturday, August 17.
“To date, no contamination by clade 1 has been identified in France; the national reference center is however mobilized to analyze the type of strains in people for whom a diagnosis of mpox has been established,” indicates the ministry.
This communication on the French health situation comes the day after the French health system was placed on “maximum alert” in the face of the MPOX epidemic and while a case was recorded on Thursday in Suedea first outside Africa.
“Probable” cases expected in France
“The risk of infection by a clade 1 mpox virus for the European population is considered to be low to date by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC),” the ministry emphasizes.
“As in Sweden, this does not prevent the likelihood of cases being declared in France, for which the health authorities will put in place appropriate management measures,” he nevertheless indicates.
It thus intends to rely on “raising awareness among the populations most at risk as defined by Public Health France”, on “a reactive and preventive vaccination strategy for these populations” and on “rapid diagnostic means across the entire territory”.
“Enhanced surveillance”
In this context, the ministry assures that “surveillance of infections” with the mpox virus has been “strengthened” by Public Health France to prevent an epidemic.
“Since the 2022 epidemic (active circulation of clade II), the State has had an effective response strategy to an MPOX epidemic, in terms of prevention, rapid diagnosis, management of cases and contacts, and vaccination,” the Ministry of Health further assures.
According to the ministry, the mpox virus is still circulating in France “quietly”, but in the form of the “clade 2” variant, “with a monthly number of reported cases varying between 12 and 26 between January and June 2024”.
These are “mostly benign cases and no deaths have been reported,” he said.
Requests for vaccine donations expected
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched its highest level of alert at the international level in the face of the resurgence of cases of mpoxThis triggering should make it possible to mobilize international actors to slow the progression of the epidemic.
The ministry indicates in this context that it is “preparing to be approached by European and international health authorities for donations of vaccines and treatments”.
A total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox have been recorded since the beginning of the year in Africa, including 541 deaths, according to the latest report released this Saturday by the African Union health agency (Africa CDC). This is more than in the whole of 2023.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considered the epicenter of the epidemic with almost all the cases recorded. Outside the African continent, one case has been recorded in Sweden and another in Pakistan.
For any questions about the mpox virus, the epidemic or its symptoms, you can contact the Monckeypox info serviceaccessible 7 days a week between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. at 0 801 90 80 69.
