The Japanese Ministry of Health said that a 20-year-old woman who had just returned from Africa was diagnosed with MPOX disease in Kobe, Japan.
The genetic test confirmed that he was infected with Clade 1B strain, making it the first case of the virus detected in Japan.
The MPOX Clade 1B virus is a subvarian from the monkeypox family virus that appears in the Congo Democratic Republic and is identified as a new strain with faster spreading ability than the previous Clade.
The patient had fever and skin rash before receiving treatment at a medical center in Kobe on September 12. The Health Officer informed that his situation is now stable.
This strain is known to spread in some areas of Central Africa.
The spread of the virus not only occurs through direct contact with the patient's rash or body fluids but is also reported to spread through intimate contact, making it more easily spread to the community.
Although Clade 1B's death rate is seen as lower than Clade 1A, the outbreak still raises concerns as treatment and detection facilities in the affected area are still limited.
Public health experts have warned that delays in control, lack of vaccines and lack of care can cause Clade 1B to continue to spread more widely and at risk of global threats.
So far, authorities have confirmed that there are no signs of spread in the Japanese community.
