First Case of Sexually Transmitted Virulent Monkeypox Strain Detected in Congo: WHO
Published on November 27, 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) identified the first incidence of sexual transmission of a severe strain of monkeypox (mpox), reported in a man who engaged in homosexual activity. The first known case of sexually transmitted clade 1 monkeypox virus (MPVX) infection was identified in a Belgium resident who was on a visit to Congo, the WHO said in a Nov. 23 post. There are two known strains of MPXV—clade 1 and clade 2 with the former being the more virulent strain. The Belgium resident was a homosexual, the organization said, adding, “During his travel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he visited discretely operating known clubs of men who have sex with men and had several sexual contacts.”...