China reports cluster outbreak of new mpox strain, patients have mild symptoms

As China continues to grapple with rapidly spreading Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), health authorities in the Asian nation on Thursday revealed that they had detected the new mutated mpox strain clade Ib.

This comes months after the World Health Organization (WHO), in August last year, declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that rapidly started to spread in neighbouring countries.

The mpox outbreak in DRC began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But the clade Ib variant appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.

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How China detected new mpox strain

As per China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, it had found a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade that started with the infection a foreigner who has a history of travel and residence in the DR Congo.

Four further cases have been found in people infected after close contact with the foreigner.

Symptoms of new mpox strain in China

The infected patients have been showing mild symptoms which include skin rash and blisters.

How mpox spreads

Mpox spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

Although usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases.

Last year in August, China had said that it would monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox.

The country’s National Health Commission said mpox would be managed as a Category B infectious disease, enabling officials to take emergency measures such as restricting gatherings, suspending work and school, and sealing off areas when there is an outbreak of a disease.

With inputs from Reuters.