“The Ministry of Labor and Health” was informed “of a first human case of clade 1b mpox on the national territory, in Brittany. The recommended management measures have been put in place,” the Ministry of Health confirmed. However, the health authorities want to be reassuring about the risk of infection for the population.
Where does the virus come from?
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, indicates AFP.
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 WHO decided to maintain its highest level of alert regarding the epidemic, due to the increase in cases and the countries concerned.
The Ministry of Health recalls that four countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) have identified cases of clade 1b mpox since this summer: Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the country most affected by this virus. In 2024, 215 cases of mpox, all due to clade 2b, were declared to Public Health France, with an average of 3 cases declared per week at the end of the year.
How is the disease transmitted?
Mpox is a zoonosis, that is to say a disease transmitted from animals to humans. The virus is also transmitted between people, particularly family and loved ones, explains the Ministry of Health website.
Human-to-human transmission occurs “through direct contact with an infected person, through bodily fluids, skin lesions caused by the disease or internal mucous membranes such as the mouth, as well as indirectly through objects that the patient has contaminated, such as clothing or bed linen or to a lesser extent during prolonged face-to-face contact by droplets (spittle, sneezing).”
As Franceinfo points out, the previous variants mainly affected homosexual and bisexual men. But with clade 1b, numerous cases of transmission during heterosexual intercourse or without sexual contact have been recorded.
What are the symptoms?
Infection with the mpox virus can cause “an eruption, made of vesicles filled with fluid which progress towards drying out, the formation of crusts and then scarring”, describes the Ministry of Health. Itching may also occur. These vesicles are generally concentrated on the face, in the anogenital area, the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The mucous membranes are also affected, in the mouth and genital area.
This rash may be accompanied by fever, headache, body aches and asthenia. Lymph nodes may be swollen and painful. Sore throats are also reported, the Ministry of Health further specifies.
The incubation period of the disease can range from 5 to 21 days. The fever phase lasts approximately 1 to 3 days.
What are the treatments?
The disease most often heals spontaneously, after two to three weeks, sometimes four. If you experience symptoms, however, it is recommended to contact your doctor or a free information and screening center.
In certain people, however, the disease can be complicated by “skin superinfections, septicemia, encephalitis or corneal damage,” indicates the Pasteur Institute. “Immunocompromised people, pregnant women and young children are at greater risk of developing a serious form of the disease,” specifies the Ministry of Health.
