Europe, China brace for new strain of mpox
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An mpox patient in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week. Photo: Guerchom Ndebo/AFP via Getty Images
Authorities in Europe and China are stepping up screening for the deadly new strain of mpox that's spread through parts of Africa and is showing signs of reaching beyond the continent.
Why it matters: Supplies of vaccines and tests could be quickly squeezed if there's a major outbreak, prompting appeals for donations — and for researchers to look for new countermeasures.
The latest: The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control on Friday raised its risk assessment and predicted more imported cases after the new version known as clade I was identified in Sweden.
- Pakistan's health ministry said Friday it has identified a case of mpox and that sequencing was being done determine whether it is the new variant.
- China's customs administration said it would monitor people and goods entering the country for signs of the disease for the next six months, the state-run CGTN reported.
- Chinese health authorities last year said mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, would be categorized in a way so authorities can take emergency measures such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and school or sealing off areas when there is an outbreak, per Reuters.
Catch up quick: Since November, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen a surge of mpox cases tied to the new clade I variant that's mainly being spread via sex.
- More than 16,000 new cases and 511 deaths have been reported this year, and nine new African countries have reported confirmed cases of mpox in recent weeks.
- The World Health Organization last week declared mpox a global health emergency and acknowledged the likelihood of further spread across Africa and outside the continent.
- Clade I is a different variety than the less severe clade II strain of mpox that fueled the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
- Both strains have similar symptoms, including flu-like symptoms and a rash can initially resemble pimples or blisters.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors to be on the lookout for the new strain but said the risk to the public remains very low.
What's next: The WHO is working with countries and drugmakers on vaccine donations.
- Two vaccines have emergency authorization: Jynneos, made by Bavarian Nordic, and LC16, from KM Biologics.
- Bavarian Nordic said Friday that it has asked the European Union's drug regulator to expand the use Jynneos for 12- to 17-year-olds, an age group especially at risk from clade 1.
- Meanwhile, a National Institutes of Health study showed the smallpox antiviral drug tecovirimat didn't reduce the duration of telltale mpox lesions among children and adults with clade I mpox in the DRC but did reduce overall mortality.
Go deeper: What to know about the new mpox strain and global health emergency
