According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Public Health, Germany has reported its first case of the new Mpox variant.
The patient, a 33-year-old man, was admitted to a hospital in Cologne on October 12 and isolated for treatment. On October 18, further tests confirmed he had contracted the clade 1b variant, a strain linked to the World Health Organization’s global health emergency declared in August.
The outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has spread to neighboring countries. Health officials believe the patient in Germany may have contracted the virus during travel to an East African nation.
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Despite this case, the RKI has assessed the risk to the general population in Germany as low. The institute emphasized that transmission typically requires close physical contact. However, the situation is being monitored, and assessments will be updated if necessary.
The first case of Mpox spreading outside Africa was reported on August 15, when a new strain was detected in Sweden. Meanwhile, two cases of the less severe clade 2 variant were recently confirmed in Norway, according to Oslo health authorities.
This case marks a significant development in the global Mpox outbreak, with continued surveillance needed to manage its spread across Europe.
