According to the Disease Outbreak News item released on February 14, 2026, this recombinant form results from a natural process in which two related virus strains infect the same individual and exchange segments of their genomes. Such recombination events can occur with MPXV, especially in settings where multiple clades circulate in the same population.
So far, only two confirmed cases involving this specific recombinant virus have been documented through full genomic sequencing:
- One case occurred in the United Kingdom in December 2025, involving a traveler returning from an Asia-Pacific country.
- The second was identified in India, with symptom onset in early September 2025; the recombinant nature was confirmed retrospectively in January 2026.
The genomic sequences from both cases are extremely similar (more than 99.9% identity), suggesting they stem from the same transmission chain, which likely spanned at least four countries across three WHO regions. The exact origin point remains under investigation.
Importantly, contact tracing in both instances found no evidence of further transmission. The clinical course in these patients was typical of mpox infections and did not involve severe disease.
Given the small number of cases identified to date, the WHO states that it is currently not possible to determine whether this recombinant variant differs in transmissibility, severity, or other biological properties compared with the parental clade Ib and clade IIb strains.
The global public health risk assessment for mpox remains unchanged: moderate for certain higher-risk groups (including men who have sex with men with new or multiple sexual partners, sex workers, and others with multiple casual sexual contacts) and low for the general population without those specific exposures.
Mpox continues to circulate worldwide, with both clade I (subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (subclades IIa and IIb) present in different regions. Clade Ib has been primarily associated with outbreaks in parts of Africa but has also been detected elsewhere through travel-linked cases, while clade IIb was responsible for the widespread multi-country outbreak that began in 2022.
The WHO continues to recommend standard public health measures: sustained surveillance, laboratory confirmation and genomic sequencing of cases (especially those with travel history or in at-risk populations), prompt case management, infection prevention and control, targeted vaccination where supplies are available, and clear communication with communities. No trade or travel restrictions are recommended for countries reporting mpox cases.
Health authorities note that ongoing monitoring remains essential as the virus evolves, including the possibility of additional recombination events when different strains co-circulate in the same areas.
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