A virus originally found in animals, mpox – which causes the disease of the same name – is now circulating in humans. Since 2022, it has been the cause of major epidemics spreading outside endemic areas in Central and West Africa. Two hundred and fifteen cases of mpox infection were reported to Santé publique France in 2024. Tecovirimat is the drug most commonly used to treat patients infected with the mpox virus. Unfortunately, it is sometimes ineffective against certain variants of the virus that have mutations in an enzyme. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur have been studying this resistance, and have been able to describe more precisely how this enzyme interacts with tecovirimat. This research will make it possible to develop novel antiviral therapeutic approaches. The study was published on February 12, 2025 in Nature Microbiology.
In view of the surge in mpox virus infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and several neighboring countries over the last few months, and the emergence of a new, possibly more contagious viral strain, in mid-August 2024 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern for the second time since 2022. In France, the National Authority for Health has updated its vaccination recommendations for those most at risk.
Mpox presents like a mild form of smallpox, with fewer symptoms and a lower case fatality rate (the number of deaths as a proportion of the number of people infected). The disease begins with a fever (myalgia, headaches, fatigue,