Update on the Situation in France

As of 6:00 p.m. on August 23, 2022, 3,421 biologically confirmed cases had been recorded in France.

As part of its regular process to verify the quality of indicators, the Agency has identified 350 cases that had not yet been entered into the databases since the last update published on the Agency’s website on Thursday, August 18. The total number of confirmed cases published today therefore includes a data catch-up, which should not be interpreted as an exceptional increase in the number of cases. Spread out over time, this catch-up does not alter the observed trends. It has no impact on patient information or care.

The distribution of confirmed cases by region of residence (or by region of reporting when the region of residence is unknown) is shown in Figure 1. The Île-de-France region has the highest number of cases (2,110, or 62%), followed by Occitanie (277 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (231 cases), and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (212 cases). Nineteen cases reside abroad.

For 1,005 confirmed cases (29.3%), the region of residence was unknown and was replaced by the region of reporting. The vast majority of confirmed cases recorded to date are adult males (1.4% are women). Eight children under the age of 15 have been reported. Adult cases have a median age of 36 years; 25% of adult cases are under 30 years of age and 25% are between 43 and 77 years of age. Among the cases for which information was available at the time of notification, 65 (3%) are known to have been hospitalized due to their Monkeypox infection.

In France, no deaths have been reported to date.

The main characteristics of the 39 confirmed cases in women are as follows: their median age is 27 years (ranging from 18 to 61 years). The majority reside in the Île-de-France region.

The circumstances of these women’s exposure are difficult to determine. Among the 22 women for whom information is available, 5 reported having been in contact with a person infected with monkeypox within the 3 weeks preceding the onset of symptoms. This contact occurred within the household or living environment (living with a family member or spouse). Two women reported occupations that could have exposed them to the virus (healthcare worker and hospitality industry). For the others, interview data did not allow for the identification of a presumed mode of transmission.

The distribution of confirmed cases by date of symptom onset (when known) is shown in Figure 2. The date of symptom onset for these cases ranges from May 7, 2022, to August 18, 2022. Due to reporting delays, data from the most recent weeks have not been consolidated.

The reports received do not always mention the date of symptom onset. As an alternative to this information, the distribution of cases by date of reporting is shown in Figure 3.

These data appear to show that the number of infections peaked in late June/early July and that since then the number of cases has been trending downward. Nevertheless, we must remain very cautious, as the summer period may have led to delays in diagnosis and reporting. Similarly, some people may not have sought medical care. Other countries with which we exchange data, particularly in Europe, are also observing a slowdown or even a decrease in the number of new cases reported in recent weeks. This trend will need to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Monkeypox Info Service: A helpline to answer questions about monkeypox

The “Monkeypox Info Service” hotline is available daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the toll-free number 0 801 90 80 69 (free calls and services; anonymous and confidential). This service is responsible for supporting prevention messages and protective measures, providing information on symptoms, treatments, and vaccination, and offering advice and referrals to care services.

Since the hotline opened in mid-July, 6,400 calls have been handled by the Monkeypox Info Service.

• 547 calls were handled in week 33 (compared to 846 in week 32)

• There has been a steady decline in the number of daily calls since Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

• The proportion of calls from women is rising: it now accounts for 17% of calls, compared to 13% in week 32.

• Île-de-France remains the top region for calls, but the percentage has dropped by 6% compared to week 32 (47% vs. 53%). The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie regions each account for 10% of calls. There has been a 3% increase in calls from the Hauts-de-France region (7% in week 33 vs. 4% in week 32).

• Overall, there have been no major changes in the types of calls. However, there has been a 4% increase in the percentage of calls regarding transmission risks (risk of becoming infected and/or risk of infecting one’s partner): 21% vs. 17% in week 32.