Germany has identified its first case of a new mpox variant, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health. The infection, traced back to international travel, was confirmed on October 18, the institute said on Tuesday.
Transmission of the variant requires close physical contact, and RKI currently assesses the risk to the broader population as low. The institute is closely monitoring developments and will update its risk assessment if needed.
In August, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that spread to neighboring countries. The first reported case outside Africa occurred in Sweden on August 15.