School in Rösrath temporarily closed due to MPOX virus!

In a worrying step, a special school in Rösrath, North Rhine-Westphalia, remains temporarily closed on December 17, 2024 due to the suspicion of a new variant of the MPOX virus. The measure was taken after an infection with Klade 1b of the virus was diagnosed with several family members, including two children. The students receive distance lessons up to and including Friday, while the school remains closed until the Christmas holidays that last in North Rhine -Westphalia until January 6th.

The health department of the Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis and the school management decided to prevent the MPOX virus possible. The family of the affected children is in quarantine and the course of the disease is said to be mild so far. According to Deutschlandfunk , the virus was probably transferred during an Africa trip. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) classifies the danger situation for the general population as low because of the transfer of close physical contact.

MPOX virus and its symptoms

The symptoms of the MPOX virus include a typical rash and general complaints such as fever, head and muscle pain. Heavy courses are rare and the pathogen is not highly contagious; The transmission is mainly through close skin contact. The first cases of the MPOX variant 1b were found in Cologne in mid-October 2024, such as OE24 reported.