France reports first infection with new mpox variant

The infection with the new variant clade 1b was registered in Brittany. “The necessary protective measures have been taken,” the Ministry of Health said.

The new variant was recently first found in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya. He has previously performed in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and various Asian countries. An infection was diagnosed in Belgium at the end of December. France is the ninth non-African country where an infection has emerged.

Mpox is a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, but is also spread through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscle pain and rash. Because the disease was first identified in Danish laboratory monkeys in 1958, the disease was until recently called monkeypox. Yet in areas where the virus circulates naturally, such as Africa, rodents are mainly carriers.