Mpox Strain 1b Under Scrutiny to Understand Increased Lethality

Health experts focus on the Mpox strain 1b to assess its heightened lethality and potential public health risks, aiming to develop more effective response strategies.

Global concern has been raised due to an increase in mpox cases caused by the Ia and Ib clades. The virus is categorized into two separate clades, each consisting of two sub-clades.

On Tuesday (Aug. 27), it was mentioned by a spokesperson from the World Health Organization that investigations are being conducted to comprehend the deadly nature of strain 1B.

At present, we lack that particular information. There are ongoing studies aimed at comprehending the characteristics of the latest mutation. Nonetheless, current epidemiological evidence does not strongly indicate that cases and deaths linked to Clade 1b variant are more severe than those caused by other strains.

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Mpox is a virus that belongs to the same family as smallpox, however it results in less severe symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches.

In 1958, Denmark identified the monkeypox virus. Then, in 1970 a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo became the first human documented case with mpox.

Intermittently, it has appeared on various continents with prevalence mainly in African regions. The objective of managing mpox is to attend to the rash, alleviate discomfort and avert any potential complications.