New monkeypox virus mutates faster than expected – Reuters.

The Mpox virus changes faster than expected

Scientists studying the new Mpox (monkeypox) strain spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo say the virus is changing faster than expected. The problem is also that, in addition to the unexpectedly rapid mutation, the virus often spreads in regions where experts lack the funding and equipment to properly track it. This means that much is still unknown about the virus itself, its dangers, and transmission methods. This complicates the fight against it, scientists from Africa, Europe, and the USA told Reuters.

The new virus strain, known as Clade Ib, gained the world's attention after WHO declared a new public health emergency.

According to WHO data, this year, there have been over 18,000 probable mpox cases and 615 deaths in Congo. In the past month, there have also been 222 confirmed mpox cases in four African countries, as well as one case each in Sweden and Thailand in people who traveled to Africa.

«I am worried that in Africa we are working blindly», – said Dr. Dimy Ogoina, an infectious disease expert at Niger Delta University Hospital in Nigeria, who heads the WHO emergency committee on mpox. He was the first to raise the alarm about the possible sexual transmission of mpox in 2017, which is now a recognized mode of virus spread.»

«We do not really understand our outbreak very well, which means: it will be difficult for us to address the problem in terms of transmission dynamics, disease severity, and risk factors», – said Ogoina. And emphasized that he is «concerned that the virus appears to be mutating and producing new strains».

The doctor also reported that it took the Clade IIb strain in Nigeria five years to develop sufficiently for sustainable human-to-human spread, which caused the 2022 global outbreak. The Clade Ib strain did the same in less than a year.

The virus mutation is accelerating. Previously, the virus was transmitted to humans only through contact with infected animals, but new strains are transmitted through close contact and sexually.

Scientists studying the virus in African countries noted a lack of chemicals for diagnostic tests and difficulties working, as about 750,000 people have been displaced due to fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Democratic Republic of Congo government.

It should be noted that Thailand became the first country in Asia to detect the new dangerous Clade Ib strain of the mpox virus (monkeypox), which spreads across countries and regions of the world following the outbreak in Africa.