There was an outbreak of the virus – formerly known as Monkeypox – back in 2022, but a new variant that originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo has proved fatal, with dozens of deaths from thousands of cases.

The new variant has also been found beyond the borders of Africa, sparking warnings by the World Health Organisation, and calls for international support to stem this outbreak.

Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland associate professor and co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, Dr Helen Petousis-Harris, joins us to explain what you need to know about this new outbreak.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills