Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - In North Rhine-Westphalia there are two other confirmed cases of monkeypox - in Düsseldorf. As the press office of the state capital reported on Friday, there are two people who are believed to have been infected in other European countries.
On the night of Ascension Day, both presented themselves to the emergency room of the university clinic to clarify the corresponding symptoms. The Virological Institute has now reported the confirmations after PCR tests. Contact tracing was initiated immediately.
There are now a total of five confirmed cases of monkeypox in NRW. The disease was diagnosed in three men aged 36 to 45 in Cologne last Tuesday. A fourth suspected case there was not confirmed, said a spokesman for the NRW Ministry of Health on Friday when asked by the dpa.
The ministry was not aware of any other cases of monkeypox - except for one suspicion in Aachen. According to a spokesman for the city region, the result of the laboratory tests was still pending there on Friday afternoon.
A week ago, a case of monkeypox was confirmed for the first time in Germany in Munich. The virus usually only causes very mild symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle pain or skin rash, but can also have severe courses. It is mainly transmitted via direct contact or contact with contaminated materials. A - probably very rare - transmission via droplets in the air is possible over shorter distances. Infected and close contacts are subject to a 21-day quarantine.
