BERLIN: Germany has reported its first infection with the new mpox variant, clade 1b, according to the Robert Koch Institute health authority. The infection, which occurred abroad, was detected last Friday.
The institute stated that it does not perceive an increased risk for Germany but is “monitoring the situation very closely.”
Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, causes symptoms such as fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that develops into blisters. There are two main subtypes: clade 1 and clade 2. Since May 2022, clade 2 has spread globally, predominantly impacting gay and bisexual men in Europe and the United States. In July 2022, the WHO declared an international public health emergency, the highest alert level, due to the outbreak.
Vaccination and awareness initiatives in various countries helped reduce worldwide cases, leading the WHO to lift the emergency status in May 2023, after reporting 140 deaths from approximately 87,400 cases.
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However, a new epidemic has emerged this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In addition to clade 1, which mainly affects children, a new strain called clade 1b has been identified. Cases of clade 1b have also been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—countries that had not previously recorded mpox. In August, the WHO declared another international emergency due to the situation.
