A new clade, or variant in simple words, has emerged this time. What intensifies the situation is that unlike in previous monkeypox cases, this time the lesions (which are a common occurrence in monkeypox infection) are seen on the genitals. This makes the infection difficult to identify and gives it time to spread to people without the person even knowing that they are infected and are spreading out this infection to others.
Otherwise, in monkeypox infections the lesions are mostly seen in the chest, hands and feet.
“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said in a press statement.
