An increase in cases involving the more lethal strain of the mpox virus—broken into two genetically distinct groups called clades—“raises concerns” the virus could spread to other countries, according to the CDC, which called for “coordinated, urgent global action” to contain the virus.

With Pride events scheduled worldwide over the coming weeks, U.S. officials are bracing for a return of mpox, an infectious disease formerly called monkeypox that struck tens of thousands of gay and bisexual men worldwide in 2022.

With a severe version of mpox breaking out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning that it could spread and that people at risk should be vaccinated as soon as possible.

THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The central African nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is battling a record number of cases of mpox, fueled by a strain with a higher death rate than the variant that spread in Europe and America in 2022.