Shweta Desai
03 August 2022•Update: 03 August 2022
PARIS
France has recorded over 2,000 cases of monkeypox virus, the public health authority said on Wednesday.
As many as 2,239 people have been infected with the virus, with most number of cases – 845 – registered in Ile-de-France region, where the capital city Paris is located. Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes are the other regions with a high number of cases, the latest data showed.
Around 45 cases were hospitalized due to complications, while no deaths have been recorded so far.
Nearly 96% of the cases detected in France have occurred among men who have sex with men. Of the cases investigated, 67 are immunocompromised and 358 are HIV positive.
To prevent further spread, health authorities have started a preventive vaccination for high at-risk groups. Till date, 37,005 doses have been administered.
The vaccine is also advisable for health care workers or those who are in contact with sick patients.
A toll-free “Monkeypox Info service” has also been launched to create awareness about the infection, wherein concerned citizens can call on 0 801 90 80 69 with questions, information on symptoms and prevention.
Monkeypox, declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, its highest level of alert, is predominantly spread through sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing, according to health officials.
Symptoms of the virus include a rash, malaise, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, in addition to chills, headaches, and muscle pain.
Confirmed cases of the viral disease have crossed 25,000 in 76 countries where it is not endemic, according to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
