Highlights
• The outbreak of clade Ib monkeypox virus (MPXV) continues predominantly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Uganda, with new travel-related cases identified in previously unaffected countries.
• Recent travel-associated mpox cases highlight the risk of undetected transmission in countries, emphasizing the need for strengthened surveillance and timely reporting to improve global monitoring and prevent international spread.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains the most affected country, experiencing circulation of both clade I MPXV subclades. Despite many of the provinces reporting stable trends in cases, the situation in the country remains concerning with continued high circulation of the virus.
• Burundi and Uganda continue reporting between 100-200 new mpox cases per week, with a plateauing trend, possibly impacted by a decline in surveillance and reporting during the December festive season.
• Since the last update (23 December 2024), Uganda has reported six deaths, bringing the total to 12 deaths among confirmed mpox cases in the country.
• A travel-related case of mpox due to clade Ib MPXV i in Germany (the second importation) led to secondary household transmission.
• Clade Ib MPXV has been detected in three additional countries, Belgium, China and France, directly or indirectly linked to travel to affected countries in Central Africa.
• Kosovo has reported its first case of mpox. Information on the MPXV clade is not yet available.