A school in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia was closed as a precaution on Monday after two children were found to be infected with the virus.
The mpox clade 1b variant was found to be present in four members of a local family. There have been placed in quarantine.
The two children attend school for children with special needs in the town of Rösrath, not far from the city of Cologne.
Following the infection report, the school was closed and lessons will be carried out online until Friday, authorities said.
What do we know about the new mpox infections in Germany?
It is thought that a member of the family contracted the disease while on a trip to Africa. The rest of the family members were subsequently infected.
So far, the disease has only had mild effects.
People who had been in contact with the infected individuals have been informed, but so far no other infections have been reported.
The clade 1b variant has caused concern due to the increased risk it poses, however, mpox is generally not very contagious.
“Close physical contact is required for transmission of mpox,” according to Germany’s disease control body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
The World Health Organization has declared a “public health emergency of international concern” due to the where it has killed scores of people, but so far there have been and no deaths.
ab/xx (dpa, German media)
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