[Correspondence] Genomic characterisation of human monkeypox virus in Nigeria

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopox genus in the family Poxviridae. First identified in 1958, MPXV has caused sporadic human outbreaks in central and west Africa, with a mortality rate between 1% and 10%.1 Viral genomes from west Africa and the Congo Basin separate into two clades, the latter being more virulent.2 Recently, MPXV outbreaks have occurred in Sudan (2005), the Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo (2009), and the Central African Republic (2016).

Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - January 16, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ousmane Faye, Catherine B Pratt, Martin Faye, Gamou Fall, Joseph A Chitty, Moussa M Diagne, Michael R Wiley, Adesola F Yinka-Ogunleye, Sola Aruna, Ebitimitula N Etebu, Neni Aworabhi, Dimie Ogoina, Wari Numbere, Nwando Mba, Gustavo Palacios, Amadou A Sall, Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research