Monkey pox mutates at an alarming rate. Coming to a more infectious version? [NEW PANDEMIC?]

New research published in the journal Nature Medicine suggests that the monkey pox virus (MPXV) has started an “accelerated evolution”. The rate of mutation of the virus may explain the explosion of cases in parts of the world where the virus did not normally grow.

1. Monkey pox reaches more countries in the world, more than 50 in total
2. On June 10, the first case in Poland was confirmed, followed by more
3. Scientists have determined that the virus mutates very intensively, which could mean that a highly infectious version of the virus will soon appear
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Scientists at the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge in Portugal looked at the DNA of the MPXV strain responsible for the ongoing monkey pox epidemic. The team explains that the current strain is closely related to the strain responsible for the 2018-2019 outbreak in Nigeria. However, he has gone through more than 50 mutations since then.

The monkey pox virus mutates faster

The nature of the virus allows it to repair errors that occur during replication, leaving much less room for mutations to form and, as a result, limiting the number of variants. When scientists examined this strain of the virus, they found that it mutated six to 12 times faster than other versions of the virus.

Experts have yet to establish why this is so, but they believe it could play a role in the way the virus hit the world this year. In recent weeks, cases of monkey pox have emerged in nearly 50 countries where the virus is not endemic.

Typically, in non-endemic countries, isolated cases have occurred and infections were easily controlled by health officials. This epidemic is different, with cases being detected in mass groups around the world. This could mean that a more infectious version of the virus is coming.

The monkey pox virus that mutates so quickly has the potential to make the disease more contagious. A virus that spreads by physical touch, contaminated surfaces, or very close body contact may now be able to spread in ways unusual for normal tropical virus patterns.

«The authors of the study describe an unexpectedly large number of mutations in the virus, but the consequences for the severity of the disease or its transmission are still unclear. We found no change in disease severity in patients diagnosed in the current epidemic»Says Dr. Hugh Adler of the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, referring to an article published in Nature Medicine.

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