A new, potentially more lethal strain of the mpox virus is rapidly spreading beyond its origins in East Africa, prompting international concern. In the past week, four countries outside Africa—Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan—have confirmed cases of this emerging strain. Meanwhile, fourteen African nations continue to report infections, highlighting the virus’s growing global reach.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a “public health emergency of international concern,” marking the second such alert related to the virus in two years. Despite this, the WHO stresses that mpox is “not the new COVID,” aiming to manage public anxiety while addressing the outbreak’s seriousness. The current crisis has been driven by Clade 1, a more virulent variant of the mpox virus that spreads through skin-to-skin contact, and has shown to be deadlier than its predecessors.

Originally traced back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2022, the mpox virus has been a persistent presence in several African countries. In 2023, a new strain of the Clade 1 variant, named Clade 1b, was identified in the DRC. Both Clade 1 and Clade 1b are currently circulating in Africa, posing a significant public health challenge.

Alongside this, a less severe outbreak of the older Clade 2 variant is also ongoing, though its spread remains limited. The Clade 2 strain was responsible for a multicountry outbreak in 2022, which primarily spread through sexual contact. By mid-2024, this variant had been reported in over 100 countries. Clade 2 infections are generally milder, with a fatality rate of 0.2 percent, in stark contrast to the 3.9 percent fatality rate associated with Clade 1.

While the WHO declared the Clade 2 outbreak officially over in May 2023, sporadic cases continue to emerge, underscoring the ongoing global challenge posed by mpox. As the virus spreads to new regions, public health officials worldwide are closely monitoring the situation, aiming to prevent a larger, more devastating outbreak.