Canada and DRC embark on joint $2.8m mpox study

Partnership will investigate viral genetics, undetected spread and vaccine effectiveness

Scientists from the National Biomedical Research Institute in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will participate in a US$2.8 million partnership to study mpox (a viral disease formerly known as monkeypox) with the University of Manitoba in Canada.

The research project, jointly led by Jason Kindrachuk, who holds a research chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses at UM, and Placide Mbala, head of the epidemiology department and pathogen sequencing lab at the National Biomedical Research Institute in DRC, will aim to prevent interest in the disease waning now that cases are decreasing after its unprecedented spread around the world last year infected more than 70,000 confirmed cases.