BERLIN, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Germany has detected its first case of the
new mpox variant, the Robert Koch Institute for public health said on Tuesday, adding that it viewed the risk to the wider population as low.
The patient is a 33-year-old man who was isolated after being admitted to hospital for treatment on Oct. 12, the health ministry in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia said.
The case was detected in Cologne, the ministry said in a statement.
The results of more detailed testing showed on Oct. 18 that the patient had the clade 1b variant, a new form of the virus that is linked to a
global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August.
The current outbreak originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spread to neighbouring countries.
The patient in Germany is thought to have picked up the virus in an east African country, the state ministry said.
