Chinese health officials have identified a new mutated strain of mpox, clade Ib, in a foreigner who travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Chinese health authorities have reported the detection of a new mutated mpox strain, clade Ib, as the viral infection spreads to more countries. The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency last year. On Thursday, China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the detection of this new mpox strain.

Chinese health authorities said on Thursday they had detected the new mutated mpox strain clade Ib as the viral infection spreads to more countries after the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency last year.

China has detected the new mutated strain of the mpox virus for the first time, as the pathogen spreads to more geographies after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in Africa a new global health emergency last year.

China has recently identified a cluster of clade Ib mpox infections, with the source of the infection being traced to a foreign traveler who had visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in an online release on Thursday.

Mpox is an infectious disease that causes flu-like symptoms with pus-filled lesions on the body. A painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy are a few symptoms of mpox. These symptoms are usually mild but can be fatal in rare cases.

China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it had found a cluster outbreak of the Ib subclade of mpox that started with the infection a foreigner who has a history of travel and residence

WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the 2nd time in 2 years, following an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo that spread to neighbouring countries.