Germany Reports First Case of New Mpox Variant

German health authorities confirmed the country’s first case of a new, potentially more contagious mpox variant, clade 1b, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported that the infection was detected last Friday, with the patient believed to have contracted the virus abroad. While the RKI does not currently consider the clade 1b variant to pose an increased risk in Germany, it is closely monitoring the situation and may adjust recommendations as needed.

The World Health Organization has indicated that the clade 1b variant is more transmissible than previous strains. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials. Symptoms typically include rashes or lesions, fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, general weakness, and swollen lymph nodes.