Concurrent Clade I and Clade II Monkeypox Virus Circulation, Cameroon, 1979-2022

Emerg Infect Dis. 2024 Feb 7;30(3). doi: 10.3201/eid3003.230861. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTDuring 1979-2022, Cameroon recorded 32 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases among 137 suspected mpox cases identified by the national surveillance network. The highest positivity rate occurred in 2022, indicating potential mpox re-emergence in Cameroon. Both clade I (n = 12) and clade II (n = 18) monkeypox virus (MPXV) were reported, a unique feature of mpox in Cameroon. The overall case-fatality ratio of 2.2% was associated with clade II. We found mpox occurred only in the forested southern part of the country, and MPXV phylogeographic structure revealed a clear geographic separation among concurrent circulating clades. Clade I originated from eastern regions close to neighboring mpox-endemic countries in Central Africa; clade II was prevalent in western regions close to West Africa. Our findings suggest that MPXV re-emerged after a 30-year lapse and might arise from different viral reservoirs unique to ecosystems in eastern and western rainforests of Cameroon.PMID:38325363 | DOI:10.3201/eid3003.230861
Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research