Objectives: Since 2022, distinct Mpox virus (MPXV) clades have been spreading across different geographic regions, causing a challenging epidemiological situation. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) proved to be instrumental for patient management and global public health. We report a pilot interlaboratory comparison study for MPXV WGS. Methods: We distributed noninfectious DNA samples, including the main MPXV clade...
Historically, mpox has been characterized as an endemic zoonotic disease that transmits through contact with the reservoir rodent host in West and Central Africa. However, in May 2022, human cases of mpox were detected spreading internationally beyond countries with known endemic reservoirs. When the first cases from 2022 were sequenced, they shared 42 nucleotide differences from the closest mpox virus (MPXV) p...