Germany has announced its first case of the new Mpox variant, as reported by the Robert Koch Institute for public health on Tuesday. The institute assesses the risk to the general population as minimal.
The patient, a 33-year-old man, was admitted to a hospital for treatment on October 12, where he was subsequently isolated. This case was identified in Cologne, according to a statement from the health ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Further testing confirmed on October 18 that the individual carries the clade 1b variant of the virus, which is associated with a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August. This outbreak reportedly began in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since extended to surrounding nations.
“The RKI currently considers the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low,” the institute stated, emphasizing its commitment to closely monitoring the situation and adjusting assessments as necessary. They highlighted that the virus primarily spreads through close physical contact.
The first indication of this virus spreading beyond Africa emerged on August 15 when health officials confirmed a new strain infection in Sweden. Additionally, two patients in Norway have been diagnosed with the less severe clade 2 variant of the Mpox virus, as reported by Oslo municipality on Tuesday.
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