Research on the mpox virus has found that clade Ib may have enhanced virulence compared to clade IIb in a mouse model. Studies are exploring the genomic basis of mpox virus transmission and pathogenesis, as well as the epidemiological and genomic evolution of the virus in certain regions. The virus is being tracked and monitored in various locations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a sustained human outbreak of a new clade I lineage has been reported.