A school in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia was closed as a precaution on Monday after two children were found to be infected with the mpox virus.

The mpox clade 1b variant was found to be present in four members of a local family. They have been placed in quarantine.

The two children attend school for children with special needs in the town of Rösrath, not far from the city of Cologne.

Following the infection report, the school was closed and lessons will be carried out online until Friday, authorities said.

"The pupils of a special school in Rösrath will be taught via distance learning from now until Friday inclusive," a statement said, after talks with Germany's disease control and prevention agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). 

"After intensive discussions with the RKI and other specialist institutions, the health department and the school management have decided to take this preventive measure with a view to protecting the student body in particular."

What do we know about the new mpox infections in Germany?

It is thought that a member of the family contracted the disease while on a trip to Africa. The rest of the family members were subsequently infected.

So far, the disease has only had mild effects.

People who had been in contact with the infected individuals have been informed, but so far no other infections have been reported.

The clade 1b variant has caused concern due to the increased risk it poses, however, mpox is generally not very contagious.

"Close physical contact is required for transmission of mpox," according to Germany's disease control body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

The World Health Organization has declared a "public health emergency of international concern" due to the spread of the virus in parts of Africa where it has killed scores of people, but so far there have been few reports of the disease in Germany and no deaths.

This article was written using information from the DPA news agency