Over the past few days, a “handful of mutations” of the monkeypox virus have been discovered in the lab of virologist Marc Van Ranst at KU Leuven. That is what Van Ranst says in an article by The financial times, but he tells our editors that there is no cause for major concern at this time. “Viruses simply mutate.”
The positive samples of monkeypox virus discovered in our country were examined more extensively at the Rega Institute of KU Leuven. This revealed that there are a “handful of mutations” in the virus. “When you compare virus genomes, you will always find a few mutations,” says Van Ranst to our editors.
The mutations were detected in positive samples in our country. There are labs in other countries that are doing similar research, and when all those results are put together, a lot more will become known about the virus. “Where the origin lies, for example. It can also show that it has been infecting people for much longer without us knowing,” says Van Ranst.
He doesn’t call it disturbing. “RNA viruses mutate every day,” said the virologist. “With DNA viruses, such as the monkey pox virus, things are a little slower because there aren’t that many.” These mutations can lead to viruses, as we saw with Covid-19, becoming more and more contagious and sickening. “But we have no evidence to suggest that is the case here. This will require a great deal of additional research, and we will have to look especially over a longer period of time. If you look at the evolution of this virus, it is clear that it has become more contagious over the decades. But we will learn more about it in the coming months and years.”