The laboratories of the Department for Molecular Diagnostics have confirmed the first case of infection with the Omicron sub-strain XBB.1.5 (Kraken) in Montenegro, the Institute of Public Health has announced.
“Montenegro has thus joined the list of countries where a mutation of a highly infectious strain has been registered”, the Institute points out.
XBB.1.5. is a new subvariant of Omicron created by the combination of the other two subvariants of this strain.
It was registered for the first time in October in the USA, where it is currently circulating dominantly.
European countries that have so far reported cases of infection with the XBB.1.5 subvariant are the UK, Denmark, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Belgium, Czech Republic and Portugal.
“We note that the evolution of the coronavirus has continued in the direction of the emergence of subvariants that are easier to transmit, and which fortunately, compared to the previous ones, do not cause more severe diseases, especially compared to the Delta strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Therefore, we use this opportunity to once again urge citizens to get vaccinated and receive their booster dose of bivalent vaccine at the recommended intervals, because those who are properly vaccinated have a milder clinical picture and a more favorable outcome of the disease”, the Institute states.
The Institute continues to monitor the situation related to the emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus in Montenegro and will regularly report to the public in accordance with the received data.
