China Discovers Cluster Of New Mpox Strain: What it Mean?

As China reels under the pressure of rapidly proliferating Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases, the east Asian nation's health authorities on Thursday informed that they have detected a new mutated mpox strain clade Ib.

China's (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) CDC informed that it had found a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade that started with an infected foreigner, who has a history of travel and residence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Four individuals have been affected after coming in close contact with the foreigner in question. The patients' symptoms are mild and include skin rash and blisters.

Why was Mpox declared a global public health emergency?

Mpox spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. Usually Mpox symptoms are mild, however it can be fatal in rare cases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) last August declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, post an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that spread across neighbouring nations.

The trigger behind Mpox outbreak in DRC occurred as a result of an endemic strain known as clade 1.

In August, China had decided to monitor people, and goods entering the nation for mpox. The country's National Health Commission (NHC) 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.

Why was Mpox declared a global public health emergency?

Mpox spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. Usually Mpox symptoms are mild, however it can be fatal in rare cases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) last August declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, post an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that spread across neighbouring nations.

The trigger behind Mpox outbreak in DRC occurred as a result of an endemic strain known as clade 1.

In August, China had decided to monitor people, and goods entering the nation for mpox. The country's National Health Commission (NHC) 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.