In Germany, infection with a new variant of monkeypox (mpox) Ib was confirmed for the first time. The person in question was infected abroad and the infection was detected last Friday. It was announced on Tuesday in Berlin by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), TASR informs based on a report from the DPA agency.
Photo: SITA/AP, Moses Sawasawa
Vaccination against the mpox virus disease in the Congo on October 5, 2024.
The institute said it is monitoring the situation “very carefully” and will adjust its recommendations if necessary. He did not provide further details, but emphasized that close physical contact is required for mpox to be transmitted.
Variant Ib has been spreading in several African countries for several months. According to local authorities, 1,100 people have succumbed to it since the beginning of this year. The first case of infection with this variant outside the African continent was confirmed in mid-August in Sweden, the patient also became infected in Africa.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), variant Ib is more contagious and more dangerous than previous variants of mpox, which were also detected in Germany.
According to the RKI, around 3,800 people have been infected in Germany since May 2022 with the older variant IIb, and no deaths have been reported yet.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern in August due to the growing spread of mpox in Africa. This is the highest level of alert.
Symptoms of mpox include the typical rash, then fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle and back pain, headache and respiratory symptoms. Deaths from mpox are rare in countries with advanced health systems.
The mpox virus is primarily transmitted through close contact, for example during sexual intercourse, massaging, hugging or kissing. There are smallpox vaccines that are also effective against mpox, reducing the risk of outbreaks and easing the course of the disease.
Source: spravy.pravda.sk
