Germany don confirm di first case of di new clade Ib variant of di mpox virus, according to di Robert Koch Institute (RKI), di country’s leading public health authority. Dis announcement come on Tuesday, as reported by di German news agency (dpa).
Di first case of dis clade Ib mpox variant outside Africa was confirmed in Sweden in mid-August. Di RKI say dem no dey assume increased risk from clade I viruses in Germany for now, but dem dey monitor di situation closely and ready to adapt dem recommendations if necessary.
Mpox symptoms include typical rash and general symptoms like fever, headache, and muscle pain. Fatal cases be rare, especially in countries with good treatment standards. Clade Ib dey suspected to be more severe and possibly more contagious than clade IIb, but public health experts say there no be enough reliable data on di variant yet.
Infections from another strand of di mpox virus, clade IIb, have been detected in numerous countries including Germany since May 2022. However, no deaths from mpox have been recorded in Germany, according to di RKI.
Di infection occurred abroad and was detected last Friday. Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, causes fever, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms into blisters. Di WHO had declared an international public health emergency in July 2022 due to di spread of clade 2, but lifted it in May 2023 after reporting 140 deaths out of roughly 87,400 cases.
