The clade 1b variant of “monkey pox”, which results in skin lesions, such as pustules, high fever and muscle pain, was spotted in a woman in Brittany, the authorities announced Monday evening, January 6 French.
A first case of the new Mpox variant has been identified in France, health authorities announced Monday evening, January 6, who want to be reassuring about the risk of infection for the general population. They nevertheless recall the prevention measures for the target audiences. “The Ministry of Labor and Health” was informed “a first human case of Mpox clade 1b on national territory, in Brittany. The recommended management measures have been put in place. indicates the Ministry of Health in a press release, confirming information from the regional daily West France.
“The reported case concerns a person who has not traveled to Central Africa, an area in which the different clades of Mpox virus have been actively circulating for several months, including clade 1b, specifies the press release. This person was, however, in contact with two people returning from Central Africa, investigations are underway to find the origin of the contamination and identify all the contact people. The ministry recalls that four countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) have identified cases of Mpox clade 1b since this summer: Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium. The risk of infection by Monkeypox clade I for the general population in France and Europe is considered low by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the press release further notes. “But sporadic cases, linked to countries with more intense viral circulation, can occur. The occurrence of this case in France was quickly detected thanks to the surveillance system in place.”
According to West France, the woman who tested positive for Mpox clade 1b lives in Brittany and was diagnosed at Rennes University Hospital. She “would be doing well”, says the daily, without citing a source. The virus is characterized by skin lesions, such as pustules, high fever and muscle pain. Identified for the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1970, the disease remained confined to around ten African countries for a long time. But in 2022, it began to spread to the rest of the world, particularly developed countries where the virus had never circulated.
Two epidemics are raging
Two concurrent epidemics are occurring, one caused by clade 1 in Central Africa, mainly affecting children, and another by the new variant, clade 1b, which affects adults in another region, in eastern DRC , and in neighboring countries. In November, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to maintain its highest level of alert regarding the epidemic, due to the increase in cases and the countries concerned. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the country most affected by this virus, formerly called “monkey pox”.
In 2024, 215 cases of Mpox, all due to clade 2b, were reported to Public Health France, with an average of 3 cases reported per week at the end of the year. Health authorities recall the importance of vaccination for high-risk populations – including men having homosexual relationships with multiple partners, or sex workers – and as a reactive measure for contact cases. People with close ties to Central African countries where the Mpox virus is actively circulating can also be vaccinated, authorities further indicate.
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