Mpox outbreak in 2022 caused by less severe form of the virus, study reveals
The strain of mpox behind the 2022 outbreak was a weakened form of the virus, which may have helped it spread faster, a new study from the University of Surrey reports. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that the virus acquired mutations before it spread globally. These mutations, which are absent from forms of the virus currently circulating in parts of Africa,…
A new study from the University of Surrey reveals that the strain of mpox behind the 2022 outbreak was a weakened form of the virus, which may have contributed to its rapid global spread. The research, published in Nature Communications, indicates that the 2022 virus acquired mutations, absent in current African strains, resulting in less severe symptoms and a reduced ability to cause inflammation.
Professor Maluquer de Motes, the study's lead author, explained that these mutations, caused by human enzymes called APOBEC3, helped the virus evade the immune system, allowing it to persist despite being less harmful to infected individuals. Consequently, the 2022 strain was more likely to be unknowingly transmitted, enabling it to spread across borders.
The study compared the 2022 strain (Clade IIB, lineage B.1) with an ancestral form (Clade IIB lineage A.1) from which it was derived, discovering only 46 nucleotide differences out of a possible 197,000 nucleotides. Despite this minimal genetic variation, the 2022 strain displayed a reduced capacity to spread between cells and evade immune responses.
This attenuation likely facilitated the virus's global transmission, as patients could continue daily activities, interact with others, and inadvertently spread the virus.
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