The Federal Ministry of Health expects increasing cases of monkeypox. “Due to the many contacts of those currently infected, further diseases are to be expected in Europe and also in Germany,” says a report for the health committee of the Bundestag.
As of Sunday afternoon, there are now four confirmed cases of infection and illness in Germany – three of them in Berlin and one in Munich. Samples from other people are being clarified. Contact persons would be identified. The Berlin Senate Department for Health had confirmed two cases in the capital over the weekend.
Health Senator Ulrike Gote (Greens) had emphasized that there was no reason to panic, but to be cautious, since many scientific findings about the disease were still preliminary. According to experts, however, it can be assumed that there is no fear of a new pandemic. Gote said that quick and consistent action is now required to identify and contain the cases of infection.
The health administration is in close contact with the health authorities, the Robert Koch Institute, the Charité and the Federal Ministry of Health in order to protect the Berlin population from the monkeypox virus as best as possible.
The report by the Federal Ministry of Health, which is available to the German Press Agency, speaks of an “event with international distribution”. In numerous countries, more than 130 confirmed cases and suspected cases have been detected, “and the trend is increasing every day”. So far, the West African monkeypox variant has been detected in the infections found in Europe, but further genome analyzes are still ongoing.
[If you want to have all the latest news live on your mobile phone, we recommend our app, which you can download here for Apple and Android devices.]
In order to register possible diseases and prevent further spread, diagnosed cases of infection should be systematically recorded and isolated. These should be reported by doctors and laboratories in accordance with the Infection Protection Act.
