The Ministry of Health confirmed Monday evening a first human case of Mpox clade 1b in France, precisely in Brittany. “The recommended management measures have been put in place,” indicates the official press release, specifying that this new strain had never before been detected on the national territory.
The case concerns a person who has not traveled to Central Africa, a region where several clades of the virus, including clade 1b, are actively circulating. “This person, however, was in contact with two people returning from central Africa. Investigations are underway to find the origin of the contamination and identify all contact persons,” specifies the ministry.
A patient living in Brittany
According to Ouest-France, the infected patient resides in Brittany, in western France, and was diagnosed at Rennes hospital. This announcement comes as several European countries – Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium – have recorded similar cases of clade 1b mpox since the summer of 2024.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that “the risk of infection with monkeypox clade I for the general population in France and Europe remains low”.
Two epidemics in the world
Mpox, which causes skin lesions, high fevers and muscle pain, was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1970. Initially confined to around ten African countries, the disease gradually spread extended to other regions of the world from 2022, also affecting developed countries.
Two distinct epidemics are currently observed: one, due to clade 1, is occurring in Central Africa and mainly affects children, while the other, linked to the new clade 1b variant, is affecting adults in eastern DRC and neighboring countries. The discovery of this first case in France raises new concerns about a possible spread of this strain in Europe.
Related News :