Mpox Clade IIb Virus Emerges in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
By Dr. Natalie Singh, Health Editor
Recent investigations have documented the introduction of the Mpox Clade IIb virus into Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following an initial outbreak in July 2025. The outbreak investigation was led by the DRC Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare and, even as conducted as an emergency response, received permission for the apply of anonymous data for publication from the Ethics Committee of the Kinshasa School of Public Health (ESP-UNIKIN, ethics approval no. ESP/CE/69/2025).
A multidisciplinary team from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) traveled to Panzi in December 2024 to collect specimens and epidemiological data. Recruitment of individuals presenting with symptoms – including fever, cough, fatigue, runny nose (with or without chills), headache, dyspnea, malnutrition, pallor, or body aches – was conducted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Clinical samples were collected between epidemiological weeks 49 and 51 of 2024 from individuals residing in Panzi from September to December 2024. Anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference, were collected by medical doctors from the INRB and local nurses, adhering to both DRC national protocols and World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
Further research is ongoing to understand the implications of this viral introduction and its potential impact on public health within the DRC.