After the occurrence of the first cases of monkeypox in Germany, further containment measures are planned, according to Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach. With the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), recommendations on isolation and quarantine are currently being made, said the SPD politician on Monday on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva. He assumes that they could already be presented this Tuesday.

In addition, it is being considered “whether we might make vaccination recommendations whenever for people who are particularly at risk,” explained the minister. This has not yet been clarified. This also included checking whether vaccines might need to be procured, and if so where. He has already contacted a manufacturer who makes vaccines specifically for monkeypox. Lauterbach emphasized that vaccination of the general population is not under discussion here.

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He advocated firm international containment. The global outbreak is so unusual that there is concern about whether it will be like previous monkeypox outbreaks. It is more likely that the way of spreading could have changed, “so that we now have to react quickly and hard to contain a global outbreak again”.

Lauterbach explained that according to previous knowledge, it was primarily men who had had sexual contact with men who were infected. It is now important to address the risk groups honestly. This is for their protection and should not be misunderstood as stigmatization. The minister appealed to all those affected who have had anonymous sex with men to look out for skin changes and fever and to seek medical treatment very quickly in the event of suspicion.

More monkeypox cases in Germany

In the meantime, a first case of monkeypox has also been detected in Saxony-Anhalt. A man from Jerichower Land was affected, the Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Monday. After a trip, the man complained about complaints that the infection had been detected by a PCR test. The responsible health authority has ordered domestic isolation.

In the course of increased attention to the disease, cases of monkeypox, which actually occurs rarely, are being detected in more and more countries. The first case in Germany was reported from Bavaria, and there have now also been reports from Berlin and Baden-Württemberg. Samples from numerous other people are being analyzed, and authorities are also looking for contact persons who have been proven to be infected.

WER: “It’s not a gay disease”

The World Health Organization (WHO) sees important questions regarding the spread of monkeypox as yet unresolved. It is still unclear whether the virus, which has been known for more than 40 years, has changed, said the WHO experts in Geneva on Monday. The nature of the virus currently speaks against it.

“They tend to be very stable,” said WHO expert Rosamund Lewis. She pointed out that the vaccination against smallpox, which was used to eradicate this disease centuries ago, is also 85 percent effective against monkeypox. The vaccine has also been further developed since then. The problem is that it is not available in large quantities. It will therefore be a question of which groups of people exercise such protection, it said.

The WHO opposed the stigmatization of certain population groups. “This is not a gay disease,” said WHO expert Andy Seale. Sexual contact is one possibility of transmission, but skin contact is also sufficient. While in the past the spread of monkeypox by travelers was very limited, this time the pattern is different.

It is important that the international community intensifies the monitoring of cases. So far, fewer than 200 cases have been recorded worldwide, often with fewer courses, said WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove. “This is a manageable situation.” However, increasing numbers are to be expected. (dpa)