Research news in clinical context

This retrospective study analysed mpox surveillance data from seven sentinel provinces in DR Congo, comparing newly affected provinces, where clade 1b is prevalent (January to August 2024), to endemic provinces associated with clade 1a (October 2023 to September 2024).Genomic classification of mpox clades at the individual level was not included.Among 17 927 suspected cases, 10 986 were investigated, 5948 were PCR-tested and 4895 were confirmed: 4436 from newly affected and 459 from endemic provinces (median age 18 years (IQR 6-27), 47% female).Compared with endemic regions, newly affected regions showed a lower case fatality rate (0.6% vs 4.4%).Systemic symptoms and complications were similar across regions, but genital rashes tended to be more common in newly affected regions (77% vs 28%).With 75% of patients in both outbreaks being under 25 years and almost half being women, targeted vaccination and testing scale-ups are needed.