Germany has reported its first case of a new type of Mpox, the virus behind a major outbreak of Monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries. The Robert Koch Institute( RKI) the German spokesperson for public health, said on Tuesday that the first case of the new variant, known as the Clade 1b, was identified in Cologne, They went on to add that that they viewed the risk to the wider population as low.
The Monkeypox Clade 1b variant
The Clade 1b variant was first detected outside of the Congo in Sweden, in August. This version is reported to be a “far more dangerous version of the virus than the one that caused the global outbreak in 2022.” Monkeypox is identified from symptoms such as a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most victims recover fully, but some sufferers become very ill. Mpox has killed more than 1,000 people in Africa so far this year and is being hailed as a disease that could spread worldwide if not monitored and identified swiftly.
Monkeypox patient in Germany visited an East African country
The patient in Germany is thought to have picked up the virus in an East African country, the state ministry said. The RKI currently considers “the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low,” adding it was “monitoring the situation closely and would adapt its assessment if necessary.” The RKI also noted that close physical contact was required for transmission and the disease is not spread virally.
Monkeypox Clade 2 variant hit Norway as well
Two patients in Norway have also been diagnosed with the clade 2 variety of the Mpox virus, the Oslo municipality also announced on Tuesday, October 22nd, adding that the “Clade 2 is a less severe form of Mpox than the clade 1b strain.” The RKI continues to monitor the situation closely and “adjusts its assessment to the current state of knowledge if necessary,” the RKI agency said.
Mpox risk of infection remains low
The case in Germany has been ascribed to “Mpox Clade Ib,” a new variant that first emerged in the DRC. It’s an offshoot of “clade I,” a far more dangerous version of the virus than the one that caused the global outbreak in 2022. It’s also the second European case of Mpox clade Ib since Sweden reported the first in August. The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the Mpox outbreak an international public health emergency in August but still states that the risk of infection remains low.
