Scientists have warned of a dangerous new strain of monkeypox that could spread internationally if it not properly contained.
Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are currently tracking the strain and have warned international spread could come with more severe symptoms and a higher mortality rate.
The strain is called Clade 1b and was first discovered in September among sex workers in Kamtigu, a mining town in the country.
Now, there have been roughly 1,000 confirmed cases in the South Kivu province, and on Monday, the first cases were confirmed in the city of Goma. The spread appears to be moving closer to the border with Rwanda.
Only patients who have gone to hospital have been studied, so it is currently unclear just how severe this latest outbreak is, but early estimates suggest a five percent mortality rate for adults and 10 percent for children.
Jean Claude Udahemuka from the University of Rwanda said: “It is undoubtedly the most dangerous so far of all the known strains of Mpox. Everyone should get prepared and support the local response.”
Symptoms of the new strain are more severe with a blister-like rash often spreading to the entire body. It has also caused miscarriages and early evidence suggests it could create long-term health issues.
Leandre Murhula Masirika, a research co-ordinator in South Kivu province, said: “We are very afraid [Clade 1b] is going to cause more damage in terms of health importance.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) currently has a plan to roll out more smallpox vaccines in the South Kivu region, but experts are still warning that this new strain needs to be better understood.
Trudie Lang, professor of global health research at the University of Oxford, said: “We can see the escalation of cases, but these are reported cases in hospitals – this is the most worrying piece when it comes to the unknowns we have.”
In 2022, there was a global outbreak of the Clade 2 strain that caused 97,000 cases to be recorded, mainly among gay and bisexual men.
In the UK, nearly 4,000 cases of monkeypox have been recorded, but most cases are mild and the mortality rate is less than 0.5 percent.