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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Medical validation:
November 1, 2024
On October 30, the British Health Security Agency announced that it had detected a first case of infection with the new variant of the mpox virus in London. Is a spread of the epidemic in Europe to be feared? Update with Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.
On Wednesday, British health authorities announced that they had detected the very first case of infection of the new variant of the mpox virus on English soil.
The risk for the population “remains low”
While a first case of infection was recently confirmed in Germany, it is England’s turn to be contaminated by the mpox virus, the cause of a major epidemic in Africa.
“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of clade 1b mpox”in an individual “who had recently traveled to African countries” affected by this variant, specifying also that “the risk for the population remains low”.
To limit the risk of spreading the virus, various measures have been taken on site.
“All contacts (of this person, editor’s note) will be offered a test and vaccination if necessary and will be advised on further care to be provided if they present symptoms or if the test is positive“, continues the British Health Safety Agency (UKHSA).
She also specifies working “in close collaboration“with the British Public Health Service (NHS)”and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health“.
A new variant that worries
Nevertheless, this virus – which has been circulating in Europe and around the world since May 2022 – continues to worry the authorities. Germany, Sweden and countries in Asia have also reported cases of the new variant of this virus, causing a major epidemic in Africa. A vaccination campaign was launched at the beginning of October in the DRC, the country most affected by the virus.
Initially present in animals, particularly in rodents in Africa, it is now transmitted by human contact, with an infected person (through bodily fluids, skin lesions or internal mucous membranes) or indirectly by objects that the sick has been contaminated.
It causes fever, muscle pain and skin lesions. The symptoms usually last 2 to 4 weeks. But complications can occur (skin superinfections, septicemia, encephalitis, or corneal damage).
The WHO also reports on its site a case fatality rate of around 3 to 6% in 2022 regarding epidemics in Africa. But what about in Europe? Should we start to worry? Here is what the medical director of Doctissimo says on this subject.
Mpox in Europe: “sporadic cases”
Although the frequency of epidemic outbreaks of the mpox virus has steadily increased in recent years, we should not panic, believes Dr Gérald Kierzek.
“These are sporadic cases which had already been detected elsewhere (Germany, Sweden, etc.). On August 16, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control estimated that an increase in cases of Mpox, formerly monkeypox, in Europe was “very likely”, due to trade with Africa. To date, the overall risk for the general population of the EU/EEA remains considered by the ECDC to be low. So, don’t panic!“, he says in conclusion.