MPOX wave in the Rheinisch-Bergisches Kreis: Infections under control!

In December 2024, the Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis registered four cases of infection with the MPOX virus, formerly known as monkey quits. No further cases occurred after the incubation period. All four people concerned who were members of a family have survived the disease and are no longer considered contagious.

The infections were found in mid -December and affect a family with school -age children. The health department has determined all contact persons and informed about symptoms and protective measures. These were regularly interviewed until the end of the incubation period. The symptoms of MPOX include rash, fever and head and muscle pain, although fatal courses are considered rare. The virus is mainly transmitted by tight skin-to-skin contact.

restrictions and examinations

Due to the infection cases, a special school in Rösrath near Cologne was closed until the Christmas holidays. The school is planned for a reopening on January 7, 2025. In the course of the investigation into the disease, a new variant of the MPOX virus, Klade 1b, was demonstrated.

In addition, on December 16, 2024, further cases of the new MPOX variant 1B were recorded on December 16, 2024. These are also due to the family in the Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis. The family members concerned are currently in quarantine whose course of the disease is considered mild. So far, no further infections have been documented, and the cause of the transfer is probably attributed to a trip to Africa that has undertaken a 33-year-old family member.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had already explained a "health need for international reach" in August 2024 to draw attention to the new virus variant and the increasing spread of MPOX in Africa. Since then, no deaths have been recorded by the virus in Germany.

like Welt.de, MPOX is not very contagious and requires close physical contact for transfer. tagesschau.de informed that low number of cases was reported by the summer of 2023, whereby the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has recorded around 3,800 cases of Klade 2b since then no deaths by MPOX were.