Germany Reports First Case Of Clade 1b Mpox Variant
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Germany has reported its first case of the new mpox variant, clade 1b, said the Robert Koch Institute for Public Health. It added that it viewed the risk to the wider population as low, according to a report in Reuters. The health ministry in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia said that the patient is a 33-year-old man who was isolated after being admitted to hospital for treatment on October 12.
The results of more detailed testing showed on Oct. 18 that the patient had the clade 1b variant. This is the same variant that prompted the World Health Organization to declare Mpox as a global health emergency in August. The current outbreak of Mpox originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spread to neighbouring countries.
The state ministry also said that the patient in Germany is thought to have picked up the virus in an East African country. Robert Koch Institute said, “The RKI currently considers the risk to the health of the general population in Germany to be low.” It added that it was monitoring the situation closely and would adapt its assessment if necessary.
The first sign of the virus' spread outside the African continent came on Aug. 15 when global health officials confirmed an infection with a new strain of the mpox virus in Sweden.
What is Mpox?
Mpox, earlier known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that’s caused by the monkeypox virus. It is a zoonotic disease and was first discovered in monkeys. Hence, it was named monkeypox. Mpox usually causes painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. While most people recover from the condition, some people might get very sick.
The virus spreads from person to person through touch, kissing or sex. However, from animals, it usually spreads when hunting, skinning, or cooking them. It can also spread from contaminated sheets, clothes or needles and from infected pregnant mothers to their unborn babies.
Types of Mpox Strains
There are two strains of mpox; Clade I and Clade II. Experts say that the Clade I type of mpox virus has a fatality rate of around 10%. Infections in the 2022–2023 outbreak were from Clade II, or more specifically, Clade IIb. Infections with Clade IIb are rarely fatal. More than 99% of people who get this form of the disease are likely to survive.
However, the Clade I infection can be deadly. Clade I mpox is causing an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other African countries.
In September, India reported the first case of Mpox Clade 1b strain in Kerala’s Malappuram. According to reports, the patient was a 38-year-old man who had travelled recently from the United Arab Emirates.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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