Situation Update in France

As of September 20, 2022, at 12:00 p.m., 3,943 confirmed cases of Monkeypox virus infection had been reported in France, representing 110 additional cases since the September 12 update.

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 (2,403, or 61%), followed by Occitanie (312 cases), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (268 cases), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (259 cases); 20 cases are residents abroad.

For 1,129 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 90 cases among those over 15 years of age (2.3%) are female. The proportion of female cases has been increasing over the past few weeks. Among all confirmed cases reported in week 36, 13.9% were women, and 10.4% in week 37 (unconsolidated data). This proportion was 5.7% in week 35, 7.5% in week 34, and 6.3% in week 33. However, the number of confirmed cases reported in women remains low (a maximum of 16 cases reported in 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; 25% of adult cases are under 29 years of age, and 25% are between 43 and 81 years of age.

Among confirmed cases for which information is available, 84 (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 12, 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 improved knowledge of the disease may reduce healthcare-seeking behavior among better-informed populations. Several other countries, particularly in Europe, have observed similar trends 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, 7,637 calls have been handled by the Monkeypox Info Service.

• 182 calls were handled in week 37 (compared to 257 in week 36)

• 95% of callers contact the hotline on their own behalf

• The topics discussed during the calls remain predominantly prevention methods (59%, though down 3 percentage points from week 36). These are mainly questions about vaccination and how to access it. 39% of callers were thus referred to a vaccination center.

• Additionally, there was a 5-point increase compared to week 36 (29% of calls) in inquiries regarding psychological and relational aspects (fear of being infected, risk of infecting others, etc.).

• Similarly, 26% of calls addressed symptoms, a 7-point increase compared to week 36 (26% vs. 19%). The questions concerned skin reactions to the virus and potential complications.