A new lineage of the mpox virus linked to efficient human-to-human transmission has been identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — and the researchers behind the finding are calling for swift action to “avert another global mpox outbreak.”

A team of Canadian and international scientists working on the ground in DRC began tracking a large mpox outbreak in the country’s Kamituga mining region last year. From October 2023 onward, cases spread rapidly with more than 240 suspected infections identified within five months. Out of roughly 100 confirmed cases, a third were among sex workers, the team wrote in their latest paper.