The first case of the new variant of the mpox virus has been detected in Germany, the newspaper Bild wrote today citing the Robert Koch Institute for Public Health.

“On 18 October 2024, an infection with the new clade 1b strain of mpox, originating from transmission abroad, was identified in Germany“, the Institute announced, adding that “the risk to the health of the population in Germany” is “small”.

The institute, which did not provide details about the patient or the circumstances of the infection, said it was monitoring the situation “very closely” and would adjust its recommendations if necessary.

Transmission of mpox requires “close physical contact,” he recalled.

In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of mpox a global health emergency – for the second time in two years – following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that spread and in neighboring countries.

The first sign of its spread outside of the African continent came on August 15 when global health officials confirmed the first case of the mpox variant found in a country outside of Africa, specifically in Sweden.

Mpox, formerly called “monkey pox,” is a viral disease that spreads from animals to humans and between humans, causing fever, muscle pain, and skin lesions.

For several months, a new outbreak has affected Africa, with the highest infection rates in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Nigeria.

Two simultaneous outbreaks are occurring, one caused by the clade 1 strain in Central Africa and affecting mainly children, and another by the new variant, strain 1b, affecting adults in another region, eastern DRC and neighboring countries.

A total of 42,000 cases have been recorded in Africa since January and about 1,100 people have died from mpox, the African Union health agency said last week, warning that the epidemic risks getting “out of control” if no action is taken.