Mpox: strain 1b in focus to understand lethality

An upsurge of mpox cases caused by clades Ia and Ib has raised global concern. There are two distinct clades of the virus, each with two sub-clades.

A World Health Organization spokeswoman said Tuesday (Aug. 27) that studies are underway to understanding the lethality of the strain 1B.

"We don't have that data. Studies are underway to understand the properties of the new strain. But available epidemiological data doesn't really suggests that the Clade 1b variant causes more severe cases and deaths."

Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches.

The monkeypox virus was discovered in Denmark in 1958. The first reported human case of mpox was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.

Since then, it occurred sporadically on different continent, with regions in Africa being mostly mostly affected. The goal of treating mpox is to take care of the rash, manage pain and prevent complications.