A mutant strain of monkeypox with “pandemic potential” has been found in a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The virus is a descendant of the more lethal clade 1 mpox strain, but has evolved to become even more infectious and better at evading tests than its predecessor.
The worrying discovery was made in Kamituga, a poor, densely populated gold mining town feared to be ripe for an explosive outbreak.. So far there have been 108 cases.
Researchers who detailed the virus in a preprint called for “urgent measures” to contain the virus and prevent a global outbreak.
The new virus is spreading in Kamituga, a poor, densely populated gold mining town feared to be ripe for an explosive outbreak (stock)
“Without intervention, this localized Kamituga outbreak has the potential to spread nationally and internationally,” the authors state. wrote.
“Given the recent history of mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we advocate for rapid action by endemic countries and the international community to prevent another global mpox outbreak,” they add.
Researchers are concerned that Kamituga’s “highly mobile” population could be the perfect breeding ground for the new virus.
Miners and sex workers frequently travel to and from the city to work from neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi.
And “many people with mox symptoms remain in the community and do not seek care,” the authors wrote.
The preprint warns that “local health infrastructure is not equipped to deal with a large-scale epidemic”
Experts have called for vaccines and medications to be distributed and for increased surveillance and contact tracing measures to be implemented in the area.
Mpox caused an international epidemic in 2022 when it spread to more than 100 countries and killed hundreds of people, including 58 Americans.
That outbreak was caused by the milder clade 2 strain, which is rarely fatal.
For the past year, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been struggling to contain a deadlier version of the virus known as “clade 1,” which kills up to 10 percent of those infected.
The new mutant strain, called ‘clade 1b’, appears to be just as deadly. Of the 108 cases, there have been two deaths.
It is believed to have emerged sometime between July and September 2023 in animals and jumped to animals.
As it spread in Kamituga, it acquired new mutations that helped it spread, especially among sex workers.
Nearly 30 percent of cases occurred among sex workers, suggesting the virus is spreading in a similar way to the one that caused the 2022 outbreak.
About 85 percent of people had genital injuries, while 10 percent were hospitalized.
The research was led by Congolese scientists in collaboration with experts from Africa, Europe, the United States and Canada.
The findings were discussed by health ministers from 12 countries at a meeting convened by the African Centers for Disease Control last week. The Telegraph reports.