Germany’s disease control agency announced on Tuesday that a new, more transmissible variant of the mpox virus has been identified in the country for the very first time.
The Robert Koch Institute revealed that this individual contracted the virus while abroad, although no further information was provided regarding the location of the infection or the current treatment situation.
The institute emphasized that it is keeping a close watch on the developments and will modify its guidelines as needed.

Previously, the first detection of this mpox variant outside of Africa was confirmed in Sweden in mid-August, with another case also reported in Thailand.
The World Health Organization has classified the escalating incidence of mpox in Africa as a global health emergency.
Presently, the majority of cases have been documented in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where outbreaks of the virus are affecting 18 of the 55 African nations.
As of last week, officials have reported approximately 1,000 deaths linked to the outbreaks, with a cumulative total of 42,438 suspected cases documented in Africa since the start of the year, among which 8,113 are confirmed as mpox cases, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mpox primarily spreads through close contact with infected individuals, notably during sexual interactions.
Also referred to as monkeypox, the virus is part of the same virus family as smallpox but typically results in less severe symptoms, such as fever, chills, and body aches.
In more severe instances, affected individuals may develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genital areas.
Earlier this year, scientists highlighted the emergence of a novel variant of mpox in a mining town in the Congo, which may lead to less severe symptoms but demonstrates an increased capacity for transmission.