In addition, Singapore discovers a new case of monkeypox

Researchers in Portugal say that mutations in the monkeypox virus are more than suspected. The reason is, the disease which is also called monkey smallpox has increased in the UK and the United States.

Scientists say the newest strain of monkeypox, previously restricted to parts of Africa, has about 50 genetic variations compared to a related virus circulating in 2018-2019.

They found that the virus continued to evolve during the current outbreak. These include minor changes in the genetic code, minor gene variants, and missing genes, according to a study published in Nature Medicine on Friday.

“It was very unexpected to find so many mutations in the 2022 monkeypox virus,” said Joao Paulo Gomes of the National Institutes of Health in Lisbon and a co-author of the report citing Bloomberg Wednesday (29/6/2022).

“In fact, given the genomic characteristics of this type of virus, no more than one or two mutations are possible each year.”

The monkeypox virus is more stable and slower to mutate than the Corona virus that causes COVID-19. In the past, monkeypox did not spread easily from person to person.

It remains unclear how the mutations seen in the current monkeypox virus alter these attributes, or the severity of the disease they cause. More research is needed to better understand the changes in the virus, the researchers said.

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