Brazil reports 1st mpox clade 1b case in São Paulo
The Brazil Ministry of Health has confirmed the first case of infection by the mpox clade 1b strain in Brazil.
According to the ministry, the patient, a 29-year-old woman who lives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, had contact with a family member who had been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country facing an outbreak of the disease.
The case in Brazil was confirmed in a laboratory, with sequencing performed to characterize the agent, obtaining the complete genome, very similar to that of cases detected in other countries. To date, no secondary cases have been identified, and the municipal surveillance team continues to track possible contacts.
The Ministry of Health is monitoring the investigation process and is in contact with the State and Municipal Health Departments of São Paulo. Among the measures adopted are the communication to the World Health Organization (WHO), the reinforcement of the epidemiological surveillance network, and the monitoring of the active search for people who had contact with the patient.
The Ministry of Health constantly monitors and evaluates the epidemiological situation of mpox in Brazil and worldwide, as well as the most current scientific evidence on the subject at an international level, in order to support the recommendations and necessary actions in Brazil. Prevention and surveillance are the main forms of protection against mpox.
In 2024, Brazil recorded 2,052 cases of mpox, and in 2025, up to the beginning of February, 115 cases of the circulating strains were reported. No deaths from the disease have occurred in the last two years in the country. Most cases present mild or moderate signs and symptoms.
Mpox can cause a range of signs and symptoms. Although some people experience mild symptoms, others may develop more serious conditions and require medical attention.
The most common symptom is a rash that looks like blisters or sores, which can last for two to four weeks. The condition may begin with or be followed by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, listlessness, and swollen glands. The rash may affect the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, genitals, and/or anal areas.
Lesions can also be found in the mouth, throat, anus, rectum, vagina or eyes. The number of sores can vary from one to thousands. Some people also develop inflammation in the rectum, which can cause severe pain, as well as inflammation of the genitals, causing difficulty urinating.
Mpox has been considered endemic in Central and West Africa since the 1970s. In December 2022, the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a national outbreak of MPOX, based on the circulation of mpox virus strain 1 (MPXV). Since July 2024, cases of clade 1b have been reported in other countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Thailand, Belgium, Angola, Zimbabwe, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, and the United States.
