WHO identifies Mu variant that may be vaccine resistant

The variant has mutations that could indicate a risk of “immune escape” or vaccine resistance., and more studies will be needed to understand its characteristics, the organization said.

“Although the global prevalence of the Mu variant among sequenced cases has decreased and is currently less than 0.1%, its prevalence in Colombia (39%) and Ecuador (13%) has steadily increased,” WHO noted.

All viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, mutate over time, and most mutations have little or no impact on the characteristics of the virus.

However, certain mutations can affect the properties of the virus and influence, for example, its ability to spread, the severity of the disease it causes, or the effectiveness of vaccines, drugs or other measures to combat it.

The emergence in 2020 of variants presenting an aggravated risk for global public health has led the WHO to characterize them as “of interest” or as “of concern”, in order to prioritize surveillance and research activities at the global level.

The entity adopted the letters of the Greek alphabet to name the variants and thus facilitate their identification for the non-scientific public and avoid the stigma associated with the country of origin.

Four of the variants were classified by the WHO as “worrying,” including Alpha and Delta, while five others were deemed “interesting,” including Mu, AFP added.

The Mu variant was first detected in Colombia last January, and since then it has been found in other countries in South America and in Europe.