Health Authorities Raise Alarm Over Mpox Strain Spreading Through Democratic Republic Of Congo

The Hill (7/6, Choi) reported, “Global health authorities are raising the alarm over a strain of mpox spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo, with little known about the mutation other than it seems to spread more easily among humans.” The “virus circulating in the North and South Kivu provinces of Congo is believed to be mutated from the lineage – clade I – that is endemic to Central Africa, distinct from the strain – descended from clade II – that impacted the U.S. and other Western countries in 2022 into 2023.” According to the WHO, “the risk associated with mpox in Congo remains high, with the recently identified mpox strain estimated to have emerged around September 2023.”