What the Surprising Mutations in the Monkeypox Virus Could Indicate About the New Outbreak

June 2, 2022

(STAT News) – DNA viruses, particularly those with relatively big genomes like poxviruses (the family that includes monkeypox), generally accrue mutations much more slowly than, say, an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. That means that examining the sequences might be less fruitful in terms of tracking how the virus is spreading from person to person. There are fewer changes to the virus’ genome that might shine a light on transmission chains. But as researchers around the world share sequences from the current outbreak, the genomes have revealed something odd: There are way more mutations than expected. (Read More)