Overview
- The patient is a man aged roughly 35 to 40 who developed symptoms on December 8, reported sexual contact with men, had traveled in Europe during the likely exposure period, was unvaccinated, and was ordered into home isolation.
- Since October 2024, the Robert Koch Institute has logged 16 Clade Ib cases nationwide, including nine this year with the Berlin case, with most linked to travel to Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda.
- Berlin has recorded 186 mpox cases in 2025, about double the prior year, with cases overwhelmingly among men and a median age of 35.
- Health authorities say European Clade Ib cases have not shown increased transmissibility or severity, and Germany continues close surveillance.
- Vaccination is recommended for defined risk groups such as men who have sex with men with multiple partners and sex workers, and 44 percent of Berlin cases this year were unvaccinated.