The following countries have reported new confirmed cases of clade I infections within the past 6 weeks:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: n.a. | 2024: cumulative 9’513 cases (clade Ia and Ib)
- Burundi: 798 cases | 2024: cumulative 3’035 cases of clade Ib
- Uganda: 767 cases | 2024: cumulative 1’552 cases of clade Ib
- Central African Republic: 4 cases| 2024: cumulative 90 cases of clade Ia
- Rwanda: 17 cases | 2024: cumulative 69 cases of clade Ib
- Kenya: 12 cases | 2024: cumulative 31 cases of clade Ib
- Congo: 1 case |2024: cumulative 23 cases of clade Ia
- Cameroon: n.a. |2024: cumulative 9 cases of clade Ia and Ib
- Zambia: 2 cases | 2024: cumulative 3 cases of clade Ib
No new cases have been reported within 6 weeks from Zimbabwe (2 clade Ib cases).
A significant number of suspected mpox cases, that are clinically compatible with mpox remain untested due to limited diagnostic capacity in some African countries and thus never get confirmed. For updates, details, suspected cases, epidemic curves, see WHO LINK.
New imported mpox cases clade Ib outside of Africa:
- Belgium: Two cases – first case in an adult traveler returning from Africa (country not specified), second case was a household contact.
- France: first case (7 Jan 2025). The case did not have a travel history to Central Africa, but had been in contact with two individuals who had returned from a country in Central Africa. Investigations into the source of the infection are ongoing.
- China: 5 confirmed clade Ib mpox cases, which involve a foreigner who had lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and four close contacts.
Previously, imported clade Ib cases have also been reported in Canada (1), Germany (6), India (1), Pakistan (1), Sweden (1), Thailand (1), the United Kingdom (5), and the United States (1).
Follow local media and local health authority advice. Prevention measures should be followed during a stay in countries where mpox is endemic/epidemic (see also Factsheet Mpox).
General precautions (most important preventive measure!)
- Worldwide:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have or may have mpox or people who have a rash (e.g., pimples, blisters, scabs).
- Wash your hands often with soap + water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching potentially contaminated personal items such as bedding/clothing, towels or sharing eating utensils/cups, food or drink with a person who has, or may have mpox.
- Avoid sex with sick persons; use of condoms for up to 12 weeks if you sexual partner have had mpox.
- Follow advice of local authorities.
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have or may have mpox or people who have a rash (e.g., pimples, blisters, scabs).
- When travelling to endemic / epidemic areas in Africa, in addition to above mentioned general precautions:
- Avoid contact with animals in areas where mpox regularly occurs.
- Avoid eating or preparing meat from wild animals (bushmeat) or using products (creams, lotions, powders) derived from wild animals.
- Avoid contact with animals in areas where mpox regularly occurs.
Vaccination
Recommendation of the Swiss Expert for Travel Medicine as of 15 January 2025:
1. Staying or travelling in African countries with mpox clade I outbreaks (as of 15 January 2025, these countries include Burundi, Central African Republic, D.R. Congo, Kenya, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda):
Vaccination against mpox should only be considered for individuals at high risk and for whom proper implementation of the above general precautions is not possible (risk evaluation / consultation of a specialist in travel medicine is recommended!). High-risk situations are considered such as:
- Health care and humanitarian work, including research or laboratory work
- Working with animals
- Commercial sex or multiple sexual partners
2. Staying in countries with mpox clade II outbreaks in case of:
- Increased risk (e.g. laboratory workers handling mpox virus, men who have sex with men, trans-persons with multiple sexual partners), see Swiss recommendations: see Link.
The available vaccine against mpox (e.g. Jynneos®) is also effective against clade I. This vaccine is considered safe and highly effective in preventing severe mpox disease.
In case of symptoms:
- Seek medical attention immediately
If you are diagnosed with mpox:
- Please stay at home (isolate yourself) until your mpox rash has healed and a new layer of skin has formed. Staying away from other people and not sharing things you have touched with others will help prevent the spread of mpox. People with mpox should regularly clean and disinfect the spaces they use to limit household contamination.
- Wash your hands often with soap / water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
- You should not have sex while symptomatic and while you have lesions or symptoms. Use condoms for 12 weeks after infection. This is a precaution to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to a partner.
- For more information on what do if you are sick, see CDC LINK.
For clinicians:
- Consider mpox as a possible diagnosis in patients with epidemiologic characteristics and lesions or other clinical signs and symptoms consistent with mpox. This includes persons who have been in DRC or, due to the demonstrated risks of regional spread, any of its neighboring countries in the previous 21 days.
- Further information on evaluation and diagnosis: see CDC LINK.