Mpox: How did the new variant of monkeypox become an enemy of people's lives?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared a global emergency over the outbreak of a new variant of monkeypox. This new variant is said to be more deadly than the monkeypox that spread last year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared a global emergency over the outbreak of a new variant of monkeypox. This new variant is said to be more deadly than the monkeypox spread last year. More than 14 thousand monkeypox cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa since the beginning of this year and 524 people have died out of these. Children under the age of 15 and women are at the highest risk. This disease has spread to 13 countries in Africa so far. In some of these countries, monkeypox cases had never been reported before.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there is a high possibility of its spreading outside Africa and to other countries as well. Let us tell you that monkeypox is an infectious disease, which was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the year 1970. There are two types of this virus - Clade I and Clade II. 

Difference between Clade I and Clade II

Clade I is more deadly and has been spreading in the Congo Basin of central Africa for decades. The less severe Clade II has been in parts of West Africa. In the past, most cases have been transmitted through contact with infected animals such as rodents. Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pain, and large boils on the skin.

New variant of Clade II

In May 2022, a new less deadly variant of Clade II, Clade IIb, spread around the world, mainly affecting gay and bisexual men. In July 2022, the WHO declared it a global emergency, which lasted until May 2023. But now a new mutated variant of Clade I, Clade Ib, has emerged, which is more deadly. It was first detected in sex workers in the city of Kamituga in Congo in September 2023.

Why is the new variant a cause for concern?

The biggest concern about this new variant is that it is spreading through routes other than sexual contact, including among children. Clade Ib causes death in about 3.6 percent of cases and causes more severe disease than Clade II. Almost all provinces in Congo are now affected by Clade I or Clade Ib.

According to WHO data, monkeypox cases have been higher in the first half of this year than in the entire previous year. According to the Africa CDC, between January 2022 and August 4, 2024, 38,465 cases of monkeypox were reported in Africa and 1,456 deaths occurred. Recently, the first cases have also been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. This new variant remains a matter of concern worldwide and scientists are working to gather more information about it.