Charlesville, Liberia – Scientists at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) have made a major breakthrough by discovering and genetically identifying a new strain of the Monkeypox virus, Mpox Clade IIa, more than 50 years after the first uncharacterized case was reported in Liberia in 1970.
The discovery was led by Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan and his team at NPHIL’s National Reference Laboratory in Charlesville, Margibi County. Their work was independently confirmed with help from scientists in Nigeria and the U.S. and published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
According to NPHIL, this new strain was found in samples from confirmed Mpox patients in Sinoe, Lofa, and other counties collected between August and September 2024, as well as in archived samples from 2023.
“With the genomic sequencing technology now at NPHIL, our National Reference Laboratory can sequence any pathogen and identify its genetic makeup for accurate analysis,” said Dr. Nyan, NPHIL’s Director General.
Bode Shobayo, former head of Research, Innovation, and Development at NPHIL, praised the achievement, saying that since the institute was set up after the 2014 Ebola outbreak, it could detect dangerous pathogens but not genetically characterize them. “Now we can,” he said.
Mpox is a viral disease spread from animals and between people through direct contact. Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle pain, and widespread fluid-filled rashes. While Clade IIb is common in West Africa, Clades Ia and Ib are mostly found in Central Africa.
This discovery comes as Liberia’s Mpox cases are dropping. At the National Incident Management System meeting on August 22, 2025, NPHIL reported zero deaths and 112 active cases, according to their latest report.
The achievement has also received international praise. U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, during a recent visit to NPHIL’s National Reference Laboratory, applauded Liberian scientists: “We are impressed by the dedication of the staff at NPHIL. Your work is critical not only for Liberia but for global health security.”
Dr. Nyan highlighted that this discovery shows the importance of combining outbreak response with genomic research. He thanked the Liberian government, Africa CDC, and WHO-AFRO for their support, and stressed that African scientists deserve credit for research done on the continent.
This milestone marks 55 years since Monkeypox was first detected in Liberia in 1970—a case whose genetic details were unknown then. Today, Liberia joins other African countries advancing genomic science to better fight emerging infectious diseases.
