India, Feb. 16 -- The detection of a newly identified recombinant mpox virus containing genetic material from two known strains underscores the need for continued genomic surveillance, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday, as the overall global public health risk assessment remains unchanged.

WHO confirmed that two cases of the recombinant strain - combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) - have been identified to date: one in the United Kingdom and one in India. Both patients had recent travel histories, and neither experienced severe illness.

No secondary cases were detected following contact tracing.

Recombination is a natural process that can occur when two related viruses inf...