Global Health

Mpox Cases Spread Undetected Outside of Africa

Recent outbreak reignites research

Since the identification of the first human case of mpox (formerly monkeypox) in 1970,¹ the monkeypox virus has become endemic to several countries in central and western Africa and has rarely been detected in humans in other regions of the world. But that may be changing. Recently, hundreds of cases have been confirmed in other continents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is actively tracking cases and as of June 14, 2022 reported over 1800 confirmed mpox and Orthopoxvirus cases across 35 countries.

Why it’s important

Since the eradication of smallpox, mpox has become the foremost Orthopoxvirus infection in humans. This virus is zoonotic in nature and presents with symptoms very similar to smallpox, albeit clinically less severe.¹The fatality rate of this virus ranges between 1-10%, with the severity of the infection depending on various factors such as the viral clade, access to health care, and if the person is immunocompromised.

To date, there have been two distinct clades of monkeypox virus identified: Clade I and Clade II.^2-4 Of these, Clade I has historically been associated with more severe disease (case fatality rate of 10%) and higher transmissibility whereas Clade II is associated with milder clinical symptoms (case fatality rate near 1%). Thus far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that all samples from the current outbreak that were confirmed by PCR are Clade II.

While global health experts have not raised alarms just yet, the undetected spread of mpox outside of the endemic regions is unusual.^1,5Health agencies are monitoring cases, mitigating the spread, and alerting the public of the potential of infection. A WHO committee will hold an emergency meeting next week to determine whether the outbreak rises to the highest global health alert level of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

How we can help

ATCC’s collection includes a variety of live orthopoxviruses and nucleic acids that support mpox research efforts and assay development, including several strains recommended for exclusivity testing. We are also preparing additional genomic DNA products for distribution to our customers. We will continue to monitor the outbreak carefully to ensure we have the products needed to support research efforts. Investigators are also encouraged to visit BEI Resources, an NIAID-funded program managed by ATCC, which offers a catalog of mpox and pox-related materials to qualified researchers.

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Anne McCormack, BA

Digital Marketing Specialist, ATCC

Anne is a Digital Marketing Specialist at ATCC. She is editor of ATCC's Credible Conversations blog. She works collaboratively with scientists at ATCC to share innovation and lively topics of interest with the ATCC audience. Anne has over 20 years experience writing and editing science articles for print publications such as New Technology Week, Manufacturing and Technology News, and for websites including AOL and the National Geographic Society.

Kyle Young, MBA

Product Manager, ATCC

Kyle Young, MBA, is a Product Manager with 14 years of laboratory experience in virology and molecular biology. He has worked extensively with virus authentication at ATCC, leading several process development and improvement efforts. He has also been involved in the attainment of ISO certifications in several laboratories. He currently performs product line management work for ATCC’s Microbiology collections. Mr. Young earned a BS in Biology from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from George Mason University.

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