Monkeypox Mutating More Than Previously Thought, Researchers Say

There are now more than 200 monkeypox and orthopoxvirus cases confirmed in the U.S., and experts are warning that the virus is mutating more (https://www.foxnews.com/health/monkeypox-mutating-more-than-previously-thought-researchers) than previously believed.

In a study published Thursday in the journal Nature Medicine, a group of Portuguese researchers found that there were an average of 50 mutations in samples from 2022 compared with those from 2018 and 2019.

They wrote that the mutation rate – discovered after looking at 15 monekypox virus sequences – may suggest a case of "accelerated evolution."

Genetic analysis from earlier this month previously suggested that there are two distinct strains in the U.S., raising the possibility that the virus had been circulating for a while.

Current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the majority of cases in California, New York and Illinois. Kentucky health officials announced the state's first probable case on Friday.