Monkeypox: Gabriel Attal places the “health system on maximum alert” following the spread of the Mpox variant

The man whose days are numbered at Matignon explains that a campaign information and recommendations, particularly for people traveling to risk areas. In addition, “we are immediately contacting the health authorities so that they can decide on the course of action to be taken in terms of updating the recommendations on target populations for vaccination”, detailed Gabriel Attal.

“In accordance with our values ​​of international solidarity and the health priority of containing the epidemic outbreak in Africa, we have decided, at the request of the President of the Republic, to make a donation of vaccines to the most affected countries”, we can read on the Prime Minister's post.

A mortality rate of 3.6 %

The current epidemic, which started in the DRC, has its specificities, first of all a more contagious and more dangerous virus. It is caused by clade 1 and by an even more dangerous variant, clade 1b. Its mortality rate is estimated at 3.6%.

Clade 1b causes rashes all over the body, while previous strains were characterized by localized rashes and lesions on the mouth, face or genitals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday triggered its highest level of alert internationally in the face of a resurgence of Mpox cases in Africa.

A total of 38,465 cases of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, have been reported in 16 African countries since January 2022, for 1,456 deaths, including a 160% increase in the number of cases in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data published last week by the African Union health agency.