Multiple lineages of Monkeypox virus detected in the United States, 2021- 2022

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.06.10.495526
• Publication Date: 2022-06-12T03:05:14Z
• Authors: Crystal M. Gigante; Bette Korber; Matthew H. Seabolt; Kimberly Wilkins; Whitni Davidson; Agam K. Rao; Hui Zhao; Christine M. Hughes; Faisal Minhaj; Michelle A. Walte...; James Theiler; Sandra Smole; Glen R. Gallagher; David Blythe; Robert Myers; Joann Schulte; Joey Stringer; Philip Lee; Rafael M. Mendoza; LaToya A. Griffin...; Jenny Crain; Jade Murray; Annette Atkinson; Anthony H. Gonzalez; June Nash; Dhwani Batra; Inger Damon; Jennifer McQuiston; Christina L. Hutson; Andrea M. McCollum; Yu Li
• Keywords: Monkeypox; Orthopoxvirus

Abstract Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease endemic in Central and West Africa. In May 2022, dozens of non-endemic countries reported hundreds monkeypox cases, most with no epidemiological link to We identified two lineages virus (MPXV) among nine 2021 2022 U.S. cases. A case was highly similar the MPXV outbreak variant, suggesting common ancestor. Analysis mutations these revealed an extreme preference for GA-to-AA indicative APOBEC3 cytosine deaminase activity that shared African since 2017 but absent from Congo Basin lineages. Poxviruses are not thought be subject editing; however, findings suggest has been recurrent dominant recent evolution.