France reports 1st clade 1b Mpox case
The Ministry of Labour, Health, Solidarity and Families, and Public Health France, have been informed of a first human case of clade 1b Mpox on the national territory, in Brittany.
The reported case concerns a person who had not travelled to Central Africa, an area in which the different clades of mpox virus have been actively circulating for several months, including clade I b. However, this person has been in contact with two people returning from Central Africa, investigations are underway to find the origin of the contamination and identify all the contacts at risk around the diagnosed case.
Since August 2024, Mpox due to clade I outside the African continent has been reported by: Sweden, Thailand, India, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Pakistan and Oman.
The risk of infection with Monkeypox clade I for the general population in France and Europe is considered low by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 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.
Since the 2022 epidemic, clade II b of the Monkeypox virus has been circulating quietly in France: in 2024, 215 cases of mpox, all due to clade II b, were reported to Santé publique France, with an average of 3 cases reported per week at the end of the year. Until now, no case of clade I had been detected in France.
The detection of this clade case I b does not change the response strategy. To deal with this virus, regardless of the clade, France has a response strategy, regularly reassessed since 2022, based on surveillance (mandatory reporting of cases and virological analyses by the national reference centre for orthopoxviruses), prevention, diagnosis, management of cases and contacts, as well as free vaccination of target groups and contacts.
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To protect themselves and others, the health authorities remind us of the importance of vaccination for the target audiences. In accordance with the opinion of the French National Authority for Health (HAS) of 29 August 2024, vaccination is recommended as a preventive measure for pre-exposure for people at high risk of exposure, and as a reactive measure for at-risk contacts around a case of mpox.
In accordance with the opinion of the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) of 2 September 2024, people with close ties to Central African countries where the mpox virus is actively circulating, including people who regularly visit their families or humanitarian workers, can also be vaccinated against mpox before their trip.
As a reminder, people at high risk of exposure are:
Men who have sex with men (MSM) reporting multiple partners and trans people reporting multiple partners
Sex workers / people in prostitution
Professionals in places of sexual consumption
Partners or people sharing the same living space as those at high risk of exposure mentioned above
For travellers coming from or going to Central Africa, it is recommended to apply barrier gestures:
Wash your hands frequently
Avoid contact with people infected with mpox or with rashes that may suggest mpox, with objects potentially contaminated by these people (clothing, household linen, or dishes), and with animals, especially rodents.