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. 2024 Mar;29(11):2400106.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.11.2400106.

Ongoing mpox outbreak in Kamituga, South Kivu province, associated with monkeypox virus of a novel Clade I sub-lineage, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2024

Leandre Murhula Masirika  1   2 , Jean Claude Udahemuka  3   4 , Leonard Schuele  5 , Pacifique Ndishimye  4   6   7 , Saria Otani  8 , Justin Bengehya Mbiribindi  9 , Jean M Marekani  10 , Léandre Mutimbwa Mambo  11 , Nadine Malyamungu Bubala  12 , Marjan Boter  5 , David F Nieuwenhuijse  5 , Trudie Lang  13 , Ernest Balyahamwabo Kalalizi  2 , Jean Pierre Musabyimana  14   4 , Frank M Aarestrup  8 , Marion Koopmans  5 , Bas B Oude Munnink  15   5 , Freddy Belesi Siangoli  15   9
Affiliations

Ongoing mpox outbreak in Kamituga, South Kivu province, associated with monkeypox virus of a novel Clade I sub-lineage, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2024

Leandre Murhula Masirika et al. Euro Surveill. 2024 Mar.

Erratum in

  • Authors' correction for Euro Surveill. 2024;29(11).
    Eurosurveillance editorial team. Eurosurveillance editorial team. Euro Surveill. 2024 Mar;29(12):240321c. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.12.240321c. Euro Surveill. 2024. PMID: 38516787 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Since the beginning of 2023, the number of people with suspected monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection have sharply increased in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We report near-to-complete MPXV genome sequences derived from six cases from the South Kivu province. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that the MPXV affecting the cases belongs to a novel Clade I sub-lineage. The outbreak strain genome lacks the target sequence of the probe and primers of a commonly used Clade I-specific real-time PCR.

Keywords: Democratic Republic of the Congo; genomics; monkeypox virus; mpox; surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Phylogenetic analysis of all near-to-complete genome mpox sequences from Africa available on GISAID and the NCBI including the 2024 sequences from Kamituga, Democratic Republic of the Congo (n = 121 sequences)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sequence alignments highlighting genetic sequence features of the MPXV detected in Kamituga resulting in (A) a single nt mismatch with US CDC recommended generic reverse primer (G2R_G reverse primer) and (B) absence of the US CDC recommended clade I specific forward, reverse, and probe target location (C3L), Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2024
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