First case of new Mpox variant confirmed in Germany

BERLIN, Oct 22 – 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 German news agency (dpa) reported.

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.