Monkeypox mutates at unprecedented rate with ‘accelerated evolution,’ study findsBy Nika Shakhnazarova
June 24, 2022
Researchers investigating the monkeypox virus said it appears to have mutated at an unprecedented rate — much quicker than experts initially predicted, according to a new study.
The study, which was published in the medical journal Nature Medicine on Thursday, found that there were an average of 50 mutations in samples from this year when only up to 10 would typically be expected.
In the study, a group of Portuguese researchers analyzed the first monkeypox sequence publicly released on May 20, along with 14 additional sequences released before May 27.
Researchers discovered around 50 genetic variations in the viruses, a figure six to 12 times higher than previous studies of other orthopoxviruses, a family of viruses to which monkeypox belongs.
The study said the mutation rate may suggest a case of “accelerated evolution.”
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/06/24/monkeypox-mutates-at-unprecedented-rate-study-finds/