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

Crystal M. Gigante; Bette Korber; Matthew H. Seabolt; Kimberly Wilkins; Whitni Davidson; Agam K. Rao; Hui Zhao; Todd G. Smith; Christine M. Hughes; Faisal Syed Minhaj; Michelle A. Waltenburg; James P. Theiler; Sandra Smole; Glen R. Gallagher; David Blythe; Robert Myers; Joann Schulte; Joey Stringer; Philip Lee; Rafael M. Mendoza; LaToya A. Griffin-Thomas; Jenny Crain; Jade Murray-Thompson; Annette Atkinson; Anthony H. Gonzalez; June Nash; Dhwani Govil Batra; Inger K. Damon; Jennifer H. McQuiston; Christina L. Hutson

doi:10.1126/science.add4153

GenomicsScienceOct 20, 2022

Peer-reviewed journal article

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

Crystal M. Gigante iD, Bette Korber iD, Matthew H. Seabolt iD, Kimberly Wilkins iD, Whitni Davidson iD, Agam K. Rao iD, Hui Zhao iD, Todd G. Smith, Christine M. Hughes iD, Faisal Syed Minhaj iD, Michelle A. Waltenburg iD, James P. Theiler iD, Sandra Smole iD, Glen R. Gallagher iD, David Blythe iD, Robert Myers iD, Joann Schulte iD, Joey Stringer iD, Philip Lee, Rafael M. Mendoza, LaToya A. Griffin-Thomas iD, Jenny Crain iD, Jade Murray-Thompson, Annette Atkinson, Anthony H. Gonzalez, , Yu Li iD

Abstract

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

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