BZ INTERVIEW with the virologist Hartmut Hengel on the outbreak of monkeypox and the epidemic potential of the pathogen.
The course of a monkeypox infection is often relatively mild, and the number of cases is manageable. In an interview with Katharina Meyer, Hartmut Hengel explains why he nevertheless sees reason for concern.
BZ: Mr. Hengel, a new epidemic is on the way – but little is heard about it. Is what happened so harmless?
Hengel: With war and Corona, other problems are currently in the foreground for us. And only about 12,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide. But it is wrong to deduce from this that what is happening is harmless – because you have to look to the future. I believe that monkeypox is significantly underestimated at the moment and at least that…