The German Agency for Disease Control, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), has announced the first case of infection with a new variant of monkeypox (mpox), which began to spread this summer. This is reported by DW, UNN writes.
Details
The RKI notes that despite the detection of the monkeypox virus, there is currently no risk of its wider spread, but the institute is "monitoring the situation very closely and adapting its recommendations as necessary.
The Robert Koch Institute did not provide any additional information about when and who was first infected.
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global health emergency for the second time in two years. This happened after the outbreak spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
For reference
mpox is a zoonotic virus that causes flu-like symptoms and rashes with painful lesions. It used to be known as monkeypox, but officials changed the name because it was inaccurate (scientists now believe the virus comes from rodents) and stigmatizing, associating a disease that disproportionately affects black people with an insult used against them. The virus spreads through contact with infected animals and skin-to-skin contact.
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