Comparison of Monkeypox virus genomes from the 2017 Nigeria outbreak and the 2022 outbreak.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

The current Monkeypox virus (MPX) outbreak is not only the largest known outbreak to date caused by a strain belonging to the West-African clade, but also results in remarkably different clinical and epidemiological features compared to previous outbreaks of this virus. Here, we consider the possibility that mutations in the viral genome may be responsible for its changed characteristics.

Methods and results

Six genome sequences of isolates from the current outbreak were compared to five genomes of isolates from the 2017 outbreak in Nigeria and to two historic genomes, all belonging to the West-African clade. We report differences that are consistently present in the 2022 isolates but not in the others. Although some variation in repeat units was observed, only two were

SUBMITTER: Wassenaar TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9828465 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature