This report was compiled using data as of Monday at noon rather than the usual Tuesday at noon. This change in the reporting date may have contributed to the lower number of new cases observed since the last report was issued.

Update on the Situation in France

As of August 29, 2022, at 12:00 p.m., 3,547 biologically confirmed cases had been recorded in France.

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 (2,176, or 61%), followed by Occitanie (293 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (235 cases), and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (222 cases); 20 cases are residents abroad.

For 1,042 confirmed cases (29.4%), the region of residence was unknown and was replaced by the region of reporting. The vast majority of confirmed adult cases recorded to date are male, with the exception of 56 (1.6%) female cases. Nine 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 is available, 68 (3%) were hospitalized due to their Monkeypox virus infection; this proportion has remained stable over time.

No deaths have been reported to date.

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Focus on female cases (as of August 22, 2022)

The main characteristics of 39 confirmed female cases 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 in 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.

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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 to August 24, 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 suggest that the peak in infections occurred in late June/early July and that the number of confirmed cases has been trending downward since then. However, 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. Several other countries, particularly in Europe, have also observed a slowdown or even a decrease in the number of new confirmed 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, 6,867 calls have been handled by the Monkeypox Info Service.

• 467 calls were handled in week 34 (compared to 547 in week 33).

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

• People aged 25–39 account for 47% of callers (compared to 39% in week 33).

• The Île-de-France region remains the top source of calls, with a 13% increase compared to week 33 (60% vs. 47%).

• There has been an increase in the percentage of healthcare professionals calling the hotline (3% vs. 1% in week 33).

• 61% of calls concern preventive measures, focusing primarily on vaccination (how to access the vaccine, the interval between doses, particularly in cases of contact with an infected person, etc.).