A case of mpox clade Ib was detected for the first time in France.
A first case of mpox clade Ib was detected in France in January 2025 and announced on January 6. What do we know about this virus, its circulation, common symptoms? Here are some answers based on information from the World Health Organization and cases already reported.
What is Mpox?
Mpox is the virus formerly called “monkeypox” or “monkeypox”. Since 2022, this virus has been the cause of significant epidemics, mainly in Africa. Mpox is a zoonosis, meaning it is a disease that is transmitted by animals. But it can also be transmitted between humans, by direct contact (notably during sexual intercourse) but also indirectly, through contaminated objects.
What is clade Ib, mentioned with the first case reported in France?
There are several “clades”, or subtypes of Mpox. Two different clades have circulated since 2022: clade II and clade Ib. If clade II was at the origin of the epidemic in Africa in 2022 (and is still circulating in several regions of the world, including Europe), it is the Ib clade which is a source of concern today. This new strain has been circulating since the end of 2023 in Africa, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it has spread to many African countries, and even to other regions of the world, including France. Faced with the circulation of this strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) had triggered a “public health emergency of international concern” in August 2024. One of the major concerns is that “clade I tends to be more severe than clade II”, according to African Centers for Disease Control.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
Mpox causes, “generally within a week” after exposure to the virus according to the WHO: skin rashes all over the body, fever, sore throat, muscle pain and swollen lymph nodes. lymphatics. These symptoms “generally last 2 to 4 weeks” according to the WHO, but can last longer, or be more serious, in fragile people, especially those with a weakened immune system. Possible complications are pneumonia, bacterial infection of the skin, blood, or even the brain.
What do we know about the situation in France?
The patient, who had been in contact with two people returning from Africa, was hospitalized. However, specialists affirm that there is no need to worry about the occurrence of an epidemic in France, since only one case has been detected in France. Several cases of this new strain had already been detected in Europe in 2024: in Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium.
Clade II has been circulating quietly in France since the start of the epidemic in 2022: more than 200 cases were declared in 2024, but no deaths. Fortunately, there is an effective vaccine against mpox. The Ministry of Health also reminds in a press release published this January 7, 2025 “the importance of vaccination for target audiences. Vaccination is recommended as a preventive measure in pre-exposure for people at high risk of exposure, and as a reactive measure for contact persons at risk around a case of mpox”.