Monkeypox warning after deadly new strain with pandemic potential discovered in small town

A worrying new strain of monkeypox with "pandemic potential" has been discovered by scientists.

Researchers have called for “swift action” from the international community to avoid another outbreak of the virus, which is now officially known as mpox.

It comes after a study tracked a new outbreak in a mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Authorities in the country have for the latest been battling a variant of mpox called "clade 1" for around a year.

This variant is thought to kill 10% of all people who become infected - and researchers have now uncovered a mutated version of it which appears to be better at spreading. It's been named "clade 1b", and was discovered in Kamituga, a town of 13,995 people.

The concerning findings were discussed at a meeting of health ministers held by the Africa Centres for Disease Control last week, according to The Telegraph. In the new paper, the scientists warned: "Without intervention, this localised Kamituga outbreak harbours the potential to spread nationally and internationally. Given the recent history of mpox outbreaks in DRC, we advocate for swift action by endemic countries and the international community to avert another global mpox outbreak."

The new mutant strain is thought to have first emerged in animals, before later spreading to humans between July and September last year. In the mining town, approximately 30% of all cases were found to be in sex workers.

A milder version of mpox became a global epidemic in 2022 after spreading to multiple countries, leading to the deaths of 58 people in the US. In most instances it causes a mild illness, with fever usually followed by a rash breaking out, usually on the face. Most people recover within four weeks, although the virus can cause serious illness in rare cases.