Germany confirms first instance of new mpox variant
A new variant of mpox has been identified in Germany, though officials indicate that the risk to the general public remains low. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Robert Koch Institute for public health has announced that Germany has detected its first case of a new mpox variant, although it has emphasized that the risk to the broader population remains low.
In August, a surge in cases of this viral illness was reported in various African nations, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which led the World Health Organization to categorize mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, cases of the clade 1 and clade 2 variants of the virus have been recorded in over 120 countries. However, a particularly concerning variant known as clade 1b has only been identified in a few countries outside the DRC, such as India, Thailand, and Sweden.
The WHO has characterized clade 1b as more contagious and more hazardous than earlier variants, although public health experts have noted that reliable data on this variant is still lacking.
On Tuesday, the RKI reported that the new variant was detected in Germany for the first time on October 18, indicating that the patient acquired the infection while abroad. The institute highlighted that close physical contact is necessary for transmission.
Nonetheless, the health authority stated that it “currently considers the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low” and affirmed its commitment to monitoring the situation closely, with plans to adjust its assessment as necessary.
In a flier issued on Monday, the RKI elaborated that the new mpox variant primarily spreads through close physical contact with infected individuals. It also noted that during the initial spread of mpox outside Africa in May 2022, infections were predominantly transmitted through “sexual contact between men who have sex with men.”
Symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, and skin changes that start as spots and progress to pustules that eventually crust over and fall off. While most individuals experience mild illness, the disease can be severe or fatal for those with weakened immune systems.
The virus was first recognized as a distinct disease in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Denmark, originally referred to as 'Monkey Pox.' The first confirmed human cases were recorded in 1970 in the DRC, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Following a rapid spread in late 2022, the WHO renamed the disease mpox to eliminate “racist and stigmatizing language.”
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
In August, a surge in cases of this viral illness was reported in various African nations, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which led the World Health Organization to categorize mpox as a public health emergency of international concern.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, cases of the clade 1 and clade 2 variants of the virus have been recorded in over 120 countries. However, a particularly concerning variant known as clade 1b has only been identified in a few countries outside the DRC, such as India, Thailand, and Sweden.
The WHO has characterized clade 1b as more contagious and more hazardous than earlier variants, although public health experts have noted that reliable data on this variant is still lacking.
On Tuesday, the RKI reported that the new variant was detected in Germany for the first time on October 18, indicating that the patient acquired the infection while abroad. The institute highlighted that close physical contact is necessary for transmission.
Nonetheless, the health authority stated that it “currently considers the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low” and affirmed its commitment to monitoring the situation closely, with plans to adjust its assessment as necessary.
In a flier issued on Monday, the RKI elaborated that the new mpox variant primarily spreads through close physical contact with infected individuals. It also noted that during the initial spread of mpox outside Africa in May 2022, infections were predominantly transmitted through “sexual contact between men who have sex with men.”
Symptoms of mpox include fever, headache, muscle and back pain, swollen lymph nodes, and skin changes that start as spots and progress to pustules that eventually crust over and fall off. While most individuals experience mild illness, the disease can be severe or fatal for those with weakened immune systems.
The virus was first recognized as a distinct disease in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Denmark, originally referred to as 'Monkey Pox.' The first confirmed human cases were recorded in 1970 in the DRC, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Following a rapid spread in late 2022, the WHO renamed the disease mpox to eliminate “racist and stigmatizing language.”
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
