a first confirmed case in France

Laboratories are on alert in Europe. Within days, the virus causing monkeypox was identified in eight countries on the continent, including France in a 29-year-old man. Although it can be impressive, the disease is most often not serious. “It starts with a fever and a flu-like state. After two or three days, rashes appear, which are predominant on the face and limbs. They then become scabs and people recover,” explains Pierre Tattevin, head of the infectious diseases department at the Rennes University Hospital (Ille-et-Vilaine).

Usually, the disease is transmitted to humans by primates and especially rodents, mainly in Africa. It is also transmitted from human to human via blood, body fluids and skin lesions. If symptoms appear, authorities recommend calling 15 and self-isolating.