London: New data has emerged about a more virulent strain of monkeypox virus.
And what has alarmed researchers is that this new strain has gained the ability to spread through sex.
Identified as clade I, this strain has historically been associated with sporadic outbreaks in Central Africa, confined to small households or communities.
However, clade I has recently been linked to a cluster of infections in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This significant shift in its transmission has sparked concerns of a potential global outbreak similar to the one experienced in 2022.
What has compounded problems is the spread of diseases like cholera and humanitarian crisis in the region.
Anne Rimoin from University of California has warned about a potential outbreak beyond current confines.
Monkeypox leads to painful, fluid-filled lesions on the skin. In severe cases, it can even cause death.
The first human-to-human transmission of monkeypox was reported from Nigeria in 2017, raising concerns about adaptability of the virus to transmit through sexual contact.
