New Mpox article published in pre-print as part of the AFROSCREEN project: “Clade I Mpox virus genomic diversity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 – 2024: Predominance of Zoonotic Transmission”
New Mpox article published in pre-print as part of the AFROSCREEN project: “Clade I Mpox virus genomic diversity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2018 – 2024: Predominance of Zoonotic Transmission”
Photo © IRD – Bruno Le Ru
The Africa CDC and WHO recently declared Mpox an international public health emergency due to alarming developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries. Since 2023, Mpox cases have risen in the DRC, with recent outbreaks linked to a more severe virus lineage: Mpox clade I. A pre-print article, supported by AFROSCREEN, provides an exhaustive analysis of Mpox’s genetic diversity and evolution in the DRC.
Previously, only a limited number of Clade I genomes had been published. This study introduces many more genomes, sequenced from samples collected nationwide between February 2018 and March 2024. Genetic analysis shows all 348 newly sequenced samples belong to Clade I. Amongst these, 17 samples were identified as belonging to the sub-group called clade Ib, all from patients in the South Kivu province. In the rest of the country clade Ia was most widespread, comprising 95% of samples.
Historically, most Mpox outbreaks were driven by zoonotic spillovers. However, with the identification of clade Ib, genetic and epidemiological patterns suggested human-to-human transmission (Vakaniaki et al., 2024), which is associated with more APOBEC3-type mutations. The clade Ia, predominant in this study, showed fewer APOBEC3 mutations, indicating most Mpox cases likely originated from zoonotic transmissions. The study underscores the urgent need to understand the animal reservoirs contributing to Mpox transmission.
Recurrent Mpox outbreaks in the DRC demand a concerted effort to combat the virus effectively. AFROSCREEN-supported research highlights the critical need for ongoing surveillance combining genomic and epidemiological data.
Dive into the data of this new pre-print: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.13.24311951v1
Mentioned in this post, Vakaniaki et al. 2024: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03130-3
Photo © IRD – Bruno Le Ru
The Africa CDC and WHO recently declared Mpox an international public health emergency due to alarming developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries. Since 2023, Mpox cases have risen in the DRC, with recent outbreaks linked to a more severe virus lineage: Mpox clade I. A pre-print article, supported by AFROSCREEN, provides an exhaustive analysis of Mpox’s genetic diversity and evolution in the DRC.
Previously, only a limited number of Clade I genomes had been published. This study introduces many more genomes, sequenced from samples collected nationwide between February 2018 and March 2024. Genetic analysis shows all 348 newly sequenced samples belong to Clade I. Amongst these, 17 samples were identified as belonging to the sub-group called clade Ib, all from patients in the South Kivu province. In the rest of the country clade Ia was most widespread, comprising 95% of samples.
Historically, most Mpox outbreaks were driven by zoonotic spillovers. However, with the identification of clade Ib, genetic and epidemiological patterns suggested human-to-human transmission (Vakaniaki et al., 2024), which is associated with more APOBEC3-type mutations. The clade Ia, predominant in this study, showed fewer APOBEC3 mutations, indicating most Mpox cases likely originated from zoonotic transmissions. The study underscores the urgent need to understand the animal reservoirs contributing to Mpox transmission.
Recurrent Mpox outbreaks in the DRC demand a concerted effort to combat the virus effectively. AFROSCREEN-supported research highlights the critical need for ongoing surveillance combining genomic and epidemiological data.
Dive into the data of this new pre-print: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.13.24311951v1
Mentioned in this post, Vakaniaki et al. 2024: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03130-3