Background and Relevance
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 6,823 confirmed cases of mpox—formerly known as monkeypox—and 16 deaths from 49 countries across all WHO regions in May 2025. The majority of these cases continue to be reported from the African WHO region, with 18 countries currently experiencing active ongoing transmission.
Key Developments
New Cases in African Countries:
- Ethiopia and Italy have reported their first cases of mpox from clade Ib.
- Macedonia, the Republic of Congo, and Togo have reported their first cases of mpox from clade IIb.
- Albania has reported its first case of symptomatic monkeypox, and genomic sequencing analysis is underway to determine the clade.
Limited Community Transmission:
The WHO states that community transmission of mpox from clade Ib remains limited to central and eastern African countries. Sierra Leone is experiencing a systematic decrease in epidemiological trends, though recent data should be interpreted cautiously due to reporting delays.
Vaccination Efforts
Eleven African countries have received mpox vaccines, with seven initiating vaccination against the disease. As of now, over 731,000 doses of the MVA-BN vaccine have been administered.
Updated WHO Guidelines
Following the fourth meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee on June 5, 2025, the WHO Director-General determined that the current mpox resurgence still constitutes an international public health emergency of concern (PHEIC).
Key Questions and Answers
- What is mpox? Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. It’s typically found in Central and West African countries.
- Why is the WHO concerned about mpox cases? The WHO is concerned due to the rapid increase in reported cases across multiple countries and regions, which could potentially lead to a global health threat.
- What are the symptoms of mpox? Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes on the face and extremities that progress to raised lesions on the skin.
- How is mpox transmitted? Mpox is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or lesions of an infected person or animal, or through respiratory droplets from a person with the active stage of the disease.
- What is being done to control the spread? Measures include case finding and isolation, contact tracing, vaccination of high-risk groups, and public health messaging to raise awareness.
