A new strain of the mpox virus, which has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is evolving at an alarming rate, raising significant concerns among scientists and public health experts. The strain, known as clade Ib, has mutated faster than anticipated, often in regions where experts lack the necessary funding and equipment to effectively monitor and study the virus. This rapid evolution is making it increasingly difficult to understand the virus’s transmission patterns, severity, and overall impact, according to scientists from Africa, Europe, and the United States.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been a persistent public health issue in parts of Africa since the 1970s. However, it gained global attention in 2022 when it surged internationally, prompting the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a global health emergency. Although that emergency declaration ended after 10 months, the emergence of clade Ib has once again put the world on high alert.
The WHO has declared a new health emergency in response to the strain, which is a mutated version of clade I, historically spread by contact with infected animals in the DRC. The situation is particularly concerning in Africa, where over 18,000 suspected cases of clade I and clade Ib mpox and 615 deaths have been reported in the DRC alone this year, according to the WHO. Additionally, 222 confirmed clade Ib cases have been reported in four African countries over the past month, along with isolated cases.