The new clade Ib variant of the mpox virus has been detected in Germany for the first time, the country's leading public health authority, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), announced on Tuesday.
The first case of the clade Ib mpox variant outside the African continent was confirmed in Sweden in mid-August.
"The RKI does not currently assume an increased risk from clade I viruses in Germany, but is monitoring the situation very closely and will adapt its recommendations if necessary," the institute said on its website.
Mpox symptoms include a typical rash and often general symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle pain. Fatal cases are rare, especially in countries with good treatment standards.
Clade Ib is thought to be more severe than clade IIb, and there are suspicions it may be more contagious. However, public health experts caution that there is currently not enough reliable data on the variant.
Infections from another strand of the mpox virus, clade IIb, have been detected in numerous countries including Germany since May 2022.
No deaths from mpox have been recorded in Germany, according to the RKI.
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox "a public health emergency of international concern" due to the increasing spread of the virus in Africa.
This is the highest level of alert, which is intended to encourage authorities around the world to pay increased attention.
The aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) also expressed concern about the speed at which mpox is spreading in Africa.
After the case became known in Sweden, it was reported that the person affected had previously been in Africa. The European health authority ECDC had been expecting further cases in Europe for some time.
The mpox virus is mainly transmitted during close skin-to-skin contact.
There are smallpox vaccines that have also been found to be effective against mpox, reducing the risk of an outbreak and mitigating the course of the disease.
Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) currently only recommends the use of those vaccines for certain risk groups.
