Update on the Situation in France

As of 12:00 p.m. on September 12, 2022, 3,833 confirmed cases had been recorded in France, representing an increase of 112 cases since the update on September 6.

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 (2,332, or 61%), followed by Occitanie (308 cases), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (264 cases), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (246 cases); 20 cases are residents abroad.

For 1,097 confirmed cases (29%), 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, and 79 cases (2.1%) are female. The proportion of female cases has been increasing over the past few weeks. Among all confirmed cases reported in week 36 (unconsolidated data), 12.9% are women (compared to 5.7% in week 35 (according to consolidated data), 7.5% in week 34, and 5.8% in week 33). However, the number of confirmed cases reported in women remains low (a maximum of 12 cases reported in week 34 and week 36), against a backdrop of a decline in the total number of confirmed cases over the past several weeks. These data should therefore be interpreted with caution.

Nine (0.2%) children under the age of 15 were reported as confirmed cases. Confirmed adult cases have a median age of 36 years; 25% of adult cases are under 29 years old, and 25% are between 43 and 81 years old.

Among confirmed cases for which information is available, 81 (2.1%) were hospitalized due to their Monkeypox infection; this proportion has remained stable over time.

No deaths have been reported to date.

The distribution of cases by date of symptom onset (when known) is shown in Figure 2. The date of symptom onset for cases ranges from May 7 to September 5, 2022. Due to reporting delays, data from the past few 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 presented in Figure 3.

These updated 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, caution is warranted, as the summer period may have led to delays in diagnosis and reporting. Similarly, some individuals 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 cases reported in recent 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, 7,455 calls have been handled by the Monkeypox Info Service.

• 257 calls were handled in week 36 (compared to 331 in week 35)

• The number of daily calls has been steadily declining since Wednesday, August 10, 2022: an average of 45 calls handled per day (excluding weekends), whereas the average daily number of calls was 275 at the end of July and 225 at the beginning of August.

• The topics discussed during the calls remain predominantly prevention measures (62% of calls). Questions on this topic frequently focus on vaccination and the various ways to access it.

• Psychological and relational aspects account for 24% of the interviews (fear of being infected, risk of infecting others, fears related to potential complications of the disease, etc.).