New version of mpox has not been detected in the Netherlands yet, RIVM says

The new version of mpox, also known as monkey pox, has not yet been detected in the Netherlands. This was reported by the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM). It could be the case that the virus finds its way to the Netherlands, but according to a spokesperson, that is guesswork.

Sweden reported on Thursday that a newer and more dangerous variant of the virus had been detected in the country. In the Stockholm region, somebody had been infected with the so-called clade 1b. This is the first case of this virus variant from outside Africa.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of clade 1 (containing variants 1a and 1b) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries an emergency of international concern on Wednesday.
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The last worldwide outbreak of mpox began in 2022. It was concerning variant 2b. Which generally is less dangerous.

Just over 1,300 people have been infected with mpox in the Netherlands since 2022. The vast majority of people tested positive between May and August 2022. A few new cases have come to light in the last few months, and the RIVM said that all those people were infected with variant 2b.

People infected with monkeypox can suffer from fever, headache, muscle pain, and general malaise. After a few days of infection, a rash with blisters on the skin occurs. Monkeypox is not a venereal disease but is mainly spread by skin-on-skin contact. The virus can infect everybody.

In the 2022 outbreak, mainly men who had sex with men were infected. The new variant is primarily transmitted "through (hetero)sexual contact," according to the RIVM.