First Monkeypox Genome Sequences Show the Current Outbreak Has a Single Origin
The outbreak virus belongs to the West African clade of monkeypox virus, and the symptoms appear to be milder.
This is a quick update to our previous article on monkeypox.
Prior to the current monkeypox outbreak, researchers had identified two different clades of the monkeypox virus: the West African clade and the Central African clade. The former has a mortality rate of 3.6%, and the latter 10.6%, with an overall mortality of 8.7%.
Last week, researchers published multiple genome sequences of the monkeypox virus. Ten were released by Portuguese researchers, one by a scientist in Belgium, and one by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All genome sequences are closely related to the Nigerian monkeypox virus genome (the endemic in Nigeria started in 2017), belonging to the West African clade, which has a lower mortality rate. They are also similar to the viruses imported from Nigeria to the UK in 2018-2019.
Researchers were puzzled by the number of mutations that have occurred in the outbreak virus, more than what they would expect to observe. More data are needed to figure out the underlying reason.
But it seems the symptoms are milder according to the CDC. Some patients didn’t even notice the disease before the rash appeared. The first case in the US had the rash starting around the genital area prior to its spread to the patient’s arms and legs.
All these appear to be good news: the fact that the new cases share the same origin facilitates the control of the outbreak, and milder symptoms mean that the new strain is less virulent.
We will provide updates when there are new developments. Stay tuned.
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The article is provided by Analytica Now, a company specializing in health analytics, economics, and policy. The article represents the author’s views and does not reflect those of Analytica Now.