The Hague, Oct 22 (NationPress) The Netherlands has reported its initial case of a new, highly transmissible variant of mpox, as stated by Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport Jan Anthonie Bruijn in a correspondence to parliament.

This infection, detected on October 17, marks the first instance of the mpox variant 1b in the nation.

"This is the inaugural identification of this new mpox variant in the Netherlands," the minister expressed in his letter. He emphasized that both the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are actively "monitoring the situation closely."

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) revealed that the individual infected was unvaccinated against mpox and had no recent travel history, according to Xinhua news agency.

The man is currently in isolation, and the local public health service is executing source and contact tracing. The minister reassured the public, stating, "the risk of further spread seems minimal."

Mpox, which can lead to painful lesions, fever, and fatigue, primarily spreads through skin-to-skin contact, as per RIVM.

Also known as monkeypox, mpox is a viral disease that transmits through close contact. Symptoms encompass fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.

Mpox spreads mainly from person to person through intimate contact with an infected individual, including household members. This close contact involves skin-to-skin and mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin interactions, and may also include face-to-face encounters that can produce infectious respiratory particles.

Individuals with multiple sexual partners are at heightened risk of contracting mpox.

Transmission can also occur via contaminated items like clothing or linens, through needle injuries in healthcare settings, or in community environments such as tattoo parlors.

During pregnancy or childbirth, the virus can be transmitted to the baby. Contracting mpox during pregnancy poses significant risks to the fetus or newborn, potentially leading to pregnancy loss, stillbirth, neonatal death, or complications for the parent.

Animal-to-human transmission of mpox can occur from infected animals through bites or scratches, or during activities like hunting, skinning, trapping, cooking, playing with carcasses, or consuming animals. The animal reservoir of the monkeypox virus remains unidentified, and further investigations are ongoing.

Additional research is essential to understand how mpox disseminates during outbreaks in various contexts and conditions.