A new mutated variant of Mpox has been identified in Democratic Republic of Congo, with health authorities concerned over increased transmissibility.
The new variant comes from the clade 1a strain of monkeypox and is potentially more transmissible. The so-called APOBEC3 mutation is less deadly than its predecessor but it is believed to be more infectious and has already been detected in a strain that has spread to the UK.
Health officials have urged for a strong response from the international community to stop a further outbreak.
“The high transmittance rate of the clade 1a Mpox variant is likely due to mutations the virus has picked up – exactly how these impact transmission isn’t currently clear and more research is vitally needed,” Cambridge Professor of Viral Immunology Mike Weekes told The Independent.
“Control of this, and of clade 1b Mpox, an ongoing public health emergency, desperately needs a coordinated international response to help with testing, vaccination and public information.”
Mpox is a rare viral disease with symptoms which are similar to but less severe than smallpox. There is no treatment but it can be prevented through vaccinations, contact tracing and avoiding infected animals and humans.
A vaccination campaign was recently launched in Kinshasha hotspot areas, like Pakadjuma, after weeks of planning, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC ).
As one of the most crowded neighbourhoods of the capital, Pakadjuma already had a Médecins Sans Frontières triage centre for mpox which sends infected people to one of three clinics.
“People are really lining up for the vaccination... a testimony of the high acceptance rate among the communities,” CDC Incident Manager Dr Ngashi Ngongo said.
It comes after USAID funding cuts by the Trump administration at a time when fighting in eastern DRC has escalated.
“Unfortunately the demise of USAID significantly hampers these efforts. COVID and previous international outbreaks of clade 2b and 1b Mpox have taught us that international spread is likely and the global community needs to step up,” Professor Weekes told The Independent.
More than 2,000 Mpox cases have been identified in the country since the start of 2025, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data. It is not yet possible to attribute these cases to the new strain as other variants are also being transmitted.
Mpox was first discovered in 1958 in groups of monkeys kept for research and can be transmitted from both monkeys and humans.
Common symptoms range from rashes, fever, sore through to muscle aches, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
In England, eight instances of clade Ib have been detected since October 2024. Unlike clade 1a, which is mainly transmitted from animal to human and then within households, clade 1b is primarily contracted through sexual contact.
Then 2022 mpox outbreak in the UK was caused by a different Mpox - clade 2b.
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