Monkeypox Virus Clade IIb Isolate Exhibits Reduced Virulence Relative to Clade IIa Isolates in Multiple Murine Models
Stephanie V. Trefry, Santiago Vidal-Freire, Mayanka Awasthi, Abel D. Ordonez, Brett Eaton, Randy J. Hart, Christy N Raney, Amy L Cregger, Chase A Gonzales, Robert N Enamorado, Nelson A Martinez, Deborah S Gohegan, Matthew G. Lackemeyer, Tinoush Moulaei, N.E. Ziolkowska, , Farooq Nasar
This study compares the virulence of MPXV clade IIa and IIb isolates in multiple murine models, finding IIb is significantly less virulent with lower lethality.
Journal of Virology · Jul 15, 2026Peer-reviewedMicrobiology