According to WHO data, the number of reported Mpox cases in 2024 has exceeded 15,600, surpassing the total number of cases reported last year. Among these, there have been 537 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 3.44%. At least 16 countries have been affected by this outbreak.



On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Mpox outbreak a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC). This is the second time WHO has declared Mpox a PHEIC since July 2022.
 
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) of the Orthopoxvirus genus. MPXV is a DNA virus comprising 2 clades – Clade I (formerly known as Congo Basin clade) and Clade II (formerly known as West African clade), which further divides into subclades IIa and IIb, with the IIb clade being responsible for the global non-endemic Mpox outbreak in 2022.
 


In September 2023, the Ib clade of the MPXV was detected in Congo. The emergence of this subclade has been a significant factor in the WHO's decision to declare Mpox a PHEIC.
 
First Case of Mpox Mutation in Asia, with Higher Fatality Rate and Airborne Transmission

On August 22, the Thai Ministry of Public Health held a press conference to confirm the country's first case of the Ib subclade variant of Mpox, marking the first such case in Asia since the WHO raised the global public health alert for the Mpox outbreak.
 
Unlike the IIb clade that caused the global non-endemic Mpox outbreak in 2022, the newly identified Ib subclade variant can be transmitted through secretions such as respiratory droplets, rashes, or contaminated items. Furthermore, the Ib variant has a higher fatality rate. Data shows that the mortality rate for patients infected with the Ib variant of the monkeypox virus is between 3% and 5%, significantly higher than the case fatality rate of less than 1% observed during the 2022 Mpox outbreak.

Wondfo: Supporting Accurate Mpox Prevention and Control with Efficient and Reliable Solutions

As a technology-driven innovative company, Wondfo has responded rapidly to the Mpox outbreak by developing several Mpox virus testing products. The Monkeypox Virus Real-Time PCR Assay (PCR) and the U-Card Dx™ Monkeypox Virus Test (PCR) for the detection of Mpox virus nucleic acids in samples such as skin lesion tissues, throat swabs, whole blood, and serum, aiding in the precise prevention and control of the Mpox virus.
 

 
Racing for Life, Wondfo will strengthen its technological R&D and actively strive to make biotechnology benefit all.