Amid Congo's deadliest mpox outbreak, a new worry: virus has become sexually transmissible.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing its largest and deadliest outbreak of mpox, with over 12,000 suspected cases and nearly 600 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the virus may be spreading between sexual partners, which is a new development for this strain of the virus. The disease, originally known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus that typically spreads through contact with infected rodents. Researchers are now analyzing the latest cases to determine if the virus has genetically changed. The DRC has not yet implemented vaccination efforts, which has raised concerns about equity and access to healthcare. The virus has also been found to be spreading among men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers in the DRC. Improved surveillance and testing methods are needed to accurately track the spread of the virus. The DRC may benefit from the lessons learned by other countries during the global mpox epidemic, particularly in terms of surveillance, diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. [Extracted from the article]