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India needs to focus on genomic surveillance of the Mpox virus to curb its spread and understand its evolving nature, experts emphasized on Monday. As the virus sees a resurgence, particularly in Africa, where 14 countries have reported cases this year, the importance of genomic surveillance has become more pronounced.
The ongoing outbreak in Africa has seen over 15,600 cases and 537 deaths, surpassing last year’s total, with four nations reporting Mpox infections for the first time. In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared the disease a global health emergency.
Since the global outbreak of Mpox in 2022, which affected several countries including India, the WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths across 116 countries. In India, 30 cases were detected, with the last recorded case in March 2024.
“We need to focus on genomic surveillance of the virus to understand the genetic epidemiology, the spread, and the evolution of the virus,” said biologist Vinod Scaria in an interview with IANS. He emphasized the need for the development of effective diagnostics for quicker diagnosis and improved care for those affected by the virus.
Mpox, first identified in monkeys in research laboratories during the 1950s, was discovered in humans in 1970. The virus has been predominantly localized in the Congo Basin and West Africa, with two identified clades: Clade I in the Congo region and Clade II in West Africa.
Dr. Anurag Agarwal, Dean of BioSciences and Health Research at Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, explained that the 2022 outbreak was driven by Clade II, which is less virulent, and primarily affected men who have sex with men. The current outbreak in Africa, however, is driven by Clade Ib, which has a higher mortality rate and causes more severe disease than Clade II.
“What is particularly concerning is that Clade Ib, unlike Clade I, shows significant human-to-human transmission,” Dr. Agarwal stated. “This has resulted in infections and deaths among a large number of children, which is alarming and unprecedented.”
The latest outbreak has crossed borders, with cases reported outside Africa. So far, Sweden is the only country outside Africa to have detected the Clade Ib strain of the Mpox virus. Additionally, Pakistan and the Philippines have reported lab-confirmed cases, although the variant remains unknown. The U.S. state of California has also detected Mpox in wastewater surveillance.
Dr. Agarwal warned that the virus could potentially evolve to develop respiratory transmission, increasing its lethality. “The best way to prevent this is to reduce the number of infections, keep the virus within its current geography, and work towards its eradication,” he said. He also emphasized the need for enhanced diagnostics, vaccines, and genomic surveillance, drawing parallels to the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As India remains vigilant, experts stress that the nation must invest in genomic surveillance and diagnostic capabilities to prevent a potential outbreak and protect public health.
