Chinese health authorities announced on Thursday the detection of a new mutated mpox strain, clade Ib, as the viral infection continues to spread to more countries following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a global public health emergency last year.
According to China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade was traced back to a foreigner with a travel and residence history in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Four additional cases have since been identified in individuals who had close contact with the foreigner. The affected patients exhibit mild symptoms, including skin rashes and blisters.
Mpox, which spreads through close contact, causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While generally mild, it can occasionally be fatal.
The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency in August last year, marking it the second such declaration in two years. The initial outbreak in the DRC involved the endemic clade I strain, but the clade Ib variant appears to spread more easily through close contact, including sexual transmission. The variant has since spread to neighboring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
China had already implemented monitoring measures for mpox in August, screening people and goods entering the country. The National Health Commission designated mpox as a Category B infectious disease, granting officials the authority to impose emergency measures such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and schools, and sealing off areas during outbreaks.
