The emergence of a new strain of the monkeypox virus, known as clade Ib, is causing concern among health officials due to its potential to kill people and spread rapidly. First detected in September 2023 in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the virus has since spread to towns along the Rwandan border, near Burundi and Uganda.
Experts are closely monitoring the situation and working to understand the virus better. Trudie Lang, director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, emphasized the need for immediate action to stop the spread of the virus in Africa. Meanwhile, John Claude Udahemuka, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda, described clade Ib as “the most dangerous version” of monkeypox virus that causes serious complications such as miscarriage and blindness.
Monkeypox is primarily spread through close contact, particularly skin-to-skin contact. However, this new strain can also transmit through sexual contact. Previous strains had limited transmission within households but clade Ib is more easily transmitted within communities than previous strains.
Thousands of cases have been reported in Congo with hundreds of deaths due to this new strain. Health coordinator Leandre Murhula Masirika reported that there were over 1500 cases in just one province alone. Efforts are underway to develop vaccines and safety measures to prevent further spread
