In work posted on the Virological.org forum, scientist Andrew Rambaut and his colleagues analyzed samples from patients in Singapore, Israel, Nigeria, and the UK in May and compared it with samples since then.

`47 samples over a period of three to four years is an incredibly large number. Since monkeypox is considered a zoonotic virus, this may be evidence that it has adapted

However, Dr. Vinod Scaria, senior scientist at the Institute of Integrative Biology and Genetics (CSIR-IGIB) of Delhi, India, said the mutation rate of the smallpox virus cannot be clearly determined.

`Each year’s statistics come from limited data which makes it difficult to determine this. The inaccuracy also stems from the fact that monkeypox virus is primarily a zoonotic disease, the

Mr. Scaria said that the number of 47 mutations is significantly larger than expected, but the estimated mutation rate of monkeypox may vary when transmitted to different hosts (animals and humans).

A pustule on the body of a patient with monkeypox.

According to Dr. Rambaut, many mutations arise due to the activity of a special enzyme, present in the host to prevent the virus from multiplying.

The 47 mutations show that the monkeypox virus is evolving at a much higher rate than previously thought (an average rate of two to three mutations per year).

`These mutations do not change the amino acids in the protein. If the virus is to adapt to evolutionary pressures, it needs to have changes in amino acids. This suggests that the mutation is simply due to enzyme activity, not

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), currently monkeypox has infected 257 people, 120 suspected cases in 23 countries, and no deaths.

According to experts, monkeypox is much less contagious than Covid-19.

From the above reasons, WHO believes that monkeypox cannot become a pandemic like Covid-19.