Contaminations with monkeypox are increasing in France. All cases investigated by Public Health France are men, aged between 20 and 63.
In France, 91 cases of monkeypox are currently confirmed in different regions. In detail, Public Health France reports 64 cases in Ile-de-France, 10 in Occitanie, 8 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 2 in Normandy, 2 in Hauts-de-France, 1 in Center-Val de Loire, 1 in PACA, 1 in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and 2 in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
With 1,000 cases reported worldwide, the World Health Organization fears the virus could take hold in non-endemic countries. To avoid this worst-case scenario, the organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, encourages countries to increase their health surveillance measures to arrive “to identify all cases and contact cases to control this outbreak and prevent contagion”.
How is the virus transmitted? In the United States, prevention centers recommend that travelers to affected areas and contact cases wear a protective mask. American experts believe that “the monkeypox virus can sometimes spread through the air, at least over short distances, but it is unclear to what extent this contributes to the spread of the disease”.
47 mutations of the virus
Asked by the Times, Andrea McCollum, CDC expert on monkeypox, wants to be more reassuring. It ensures that the infection requires a “very close and sustained contact. It is not a virus that has been transmitted over several meters”. As the WHO recalls, the virus is mainly transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with materials contaminated with the virus. “Person-to-person transmission of monkeypox virus occurs through close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials, such as bedding“, details the World Health Organization.
Monkeypox usually manifests with fever, rash, and swollen glands. Generally, it heals spontaneously and the symptoms last between 2 and 4 weeks. Currently, researchers are analyzing the different mutations of the virus between the previous strains – 47 mutations – to determine if it is an adaptation of monkeypox virus to humans.