Mpox: Germany reports first case of new variant

Two people in Norway also diagnosed with different strain of the virus

Mpox viral particles. The disease is spread mainly through close contact with infected people. Reuters

Germany has detected its first case of a new mpox variant, the country's Robert Koch Institute for public health said on Tuesday.

A 33-year-old man in Cologne was admitted to hospital for treatment and isolated on October 12, the health ministry in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia said.

The results of more detailed testing showed on October 18 that the man had the clade 1b variant, a new form of the virus linked to a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August. The current outbreak originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spread to neighbouring countries.

Mpox global public health emergency in 2024 – in pictures

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  A laboratory nurse takes a sample from a child with a suspected case of mpox at a treatment centre near Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in July. Reuters

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  A doctor verifies the growth of skin lesions on the ear of a child suffering from mpox in July. Reuters

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  A mother points out the rash marks on her child who recovered from mpox, in July. Reuters

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  This image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colourised transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (red) found in an infected cell (blue). Niaid / AP

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  The World Health Organisation has declared its second public health emergency of international concern on the mpox virus in two years. AP

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  Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, can be treated with antiviral medication, and it can be prevented with a two-dose vaccine regimen. AP

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  African health officials said mpox cases have risen by 160% in the past year. Doctors Without Borders / AP

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  Images from the UK Health Security Agency show the stages of monkeypox. UK Health Security Agency

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  An image taken during an outbreak of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996 and 1997 shows the arms and torso of a patient with skin lesions. Reuters

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  A man's hands are covered in a rash caused by the mpox virus that swept through the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1996 to 1997. Reuters

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  This 2003 electron microscope image from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows an mpox virion, from a sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. AP

The man in Germany is thought to have picked up the virus in an east African country, the ministry said. The Robert Koch Institute said it “currently considers the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low” but it was monitoring the situation closely and would adapt if necessary.

Two patients in Norway have been diagnosed with the clade 2 variety of the mpox virus, the Oslo municipality said on Tuesday. A statement said authorities were investigating whether there is a connection between the two cases. Clade 2 is a less severe form of mpox than the clade 1b strain.

Scientists this year reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo that may cause milder symptoms but spreads more easily. So far the vast majority of cases have been reported in the DRC.

Outbreaks of mpox are currently affecting 18 out of 55 countries in Africa, where they have caused 1,000 deaths as of last week.

The number of suspected cases in Africa so far this year stands at 42,438, with 8,113 confirmed as mpox, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Mpox is spread mainly through close contact with infected people. Also known as monkeypox, it belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches.

People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

The first sign of the virus spreading outside Africa came on August 15 when global health officials confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden.