Young women and girls could be at a higher risk of being infected by a new subvariant of the virus that causes mpox originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo and spreading to other countries, a survey revealed.
Among 154 laboratory confirmed mpox cases in Burundi, which is bordering eastern Congo, with the onset of disease recorded between July 3 and September 9, the median age was 9.5 years as described in the research done by the team involved and published in the Eurosurveillance Oct 17.
In the context of it, the new subvariant, clade Ib, seems more contagious than one of the first variants of the disease, which has killed hundreds of children in the eastern part of Congo. It has been passing from close physical contact as well as sexual behaviours of any type of the newer strain.
That is far away from the clade Ia virus that existed for decades in central and west Africa but primarily spreads through direct contact with animals. Clade II that has affected many countries is transmitted through sexual contact between male individuals.
Sexual dimorphisms were detected “when comparing age, mpox positivity, and hospitalisation.” Male and female suspected cases who tested negative did not differ much in the age they were, according to the respondents.
A study among 254 patients in a teaching hospital in Bujumbura, the largest city of Burundi, revealed a gender disparity. The females afflicted with the disease that led to hospitalisation were 16 years in average while the males were 32 years in average.
The majority of the participants had a general pustular rash while 20 percent had genital rash if they were hospitalised. Where asses averaged 350 and splenomegaly was observed in over one-third of half had fevers and a few presented with muscle aches but the most serious manifestations were two instances of blindness.
Before the emergence of the current strain of clade Ib, Burundi had not been reported to have mpox.Â
Covid has claimed the lives of 1,100 Africans this year as a result of disease by all variants, though the country reports no death from the virus. The other researchers were from Canadian, Belgian, Congolese and Burundian university institutions and the U.S.
Reference: Sguazzin A, News B. Newer mpox strain poses bigger risk to young women, study shows.
