Scientists studying the new mpox strain originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo reveal that the virus is mutating faster than expected. This poses various challenges in tracking the virus effectively due to limited resources and equipment. Despite being a public health concern in Africa since 1970, the mpox virus gained global attention in 2022, leading to a temporary global health emergency declaration by the World Health Organisation.
The emergence of a mutated strain, clade Ib, has once again brought attention to the virus, leading to a new health emergency declaration. The virus, previously known as monkeypox, causes flu-like symptoms, pus-filled lesions, and can be fatal.
As the virus evolves rapidly, the severity, transmission dynamics, and risk factors remain unknown. The challenges in understanding the outbreak in Africa are further compounded by the mutating nature of mpox, making it crucial to ramp up research and diagnostic capabilities to effectively combat the disease.
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