Monkeypox virus mutation: Scientists concerned as genes start disappearing
PremiumIn some instances, entire genes in the monkeypox-infected person disappeared.
A few months ago, when analysing samples of the monkeypox virus, scientists at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul found that a significant portion of the virus's genome was missing in one sample taken from an infected person. Another portion migrated to a completely different location in the sequence, they found.
The mutations are unlike those that are often found in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. In some instances, entire genes disappeared. A sample from an infected person in Florida had missing DNA that covered nearly 7% of the genome.
According to computational virologist Elliot Lefkowitz, it is still too early to determine if the alterations are helpful, neutral or harmful to the virus. Health experts may be able to tell that these alterations are aiding the virus's transmission if they notice an increase in the number of virus samples with these mutations.
Scientists are closely monitoring the issue, even if they aren't worried, to find out what changed and what it might mean for the current worldwide monkeypox outbreak.
These mutations serve as a stark reminder that even poxviruses, which are DNA viruses that have a tendency to evolve more slowly than RNA viruses like the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, will change over time, as per an expert. The monkeypox virus will have more opportunity to mutate the more human contact it receives, Nature magazine quoted Lefkowitz as saying.
Three out of every 10 people who contracted smallpox died from it prior to its eradication. Some scientists are concerned that a similar situation could develop with monkeypox. Monkeypox is currently more of a generalist disease that can infect numerous mammals, including humans and various rodent species.
However, since many genes in the vast genome of the monkeypox virus have not yet had their functions fully characterised, forecasting how the behaviour of the virus will alter as it mutates is challenging.
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