Brazil already has a higher total number of Mpox cases in 2024 than in 2023

On Tuesday (3), the Ministry of Health published the weekly report on Mpox cases in Brazil. Since the beginning of the year, the country has registered 945 confirmed or probable cases of the disease, surpassing the 853 cases registered throughout 2023.

Mpox cases in Brazil

According to the bulletin, Brazil recorded 109 confirmed or probable cases of mpox in a single week. The Southeast region was the most affected, with 763 cases, which corresponds to 80.7% of the total in the country. The Ministry of Health reported that the states with the highest number of confirmed or probable cases were: São Paulo, with 487 cases (51.5%), Rio de Janeiro, with 216 cases (22.9%), Minas Gerais, with 52 cases (5.5%), Bahia, with 39 cases (4.1%). The bulletin also indicates that there were no confirmed or probable cases in three states: Amapá, Tocantins and Piauí.

The bulletin indicates that São Paulo registered 343 cases (36.3%), followed by Rio de Janeiro with 160 cases (16.9%), Belo Horizonte with 43 cases (4.6%), Salvador with 28 cases (3.0%) and Brasília with 20 cases (2.1%). The document also highlighted that, so far, there have been no deaths from mpox this year. In 2023, two deaths were registered: one in Minas Gerais and another in Pará. In 2022, there were 14 deaths, five in Rio de Janeiro, three in São Paulo and three in Minas Gerais, in addition to one death in each of the states of Maranhão, Mato Grosso and Santa Catarina.

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Transmission and symptoms of Mpox

Mpox is a disease caused by the Mpox virus, belonging to the genus “Orthopoxvirus” and the family “Poxviridae”. Infection in humans occurs through direct contact with infected people or through contaminated materials.

The disease can be transmitted through close contact, such as touching, kissing or sexual intercourse, and also through contaminated objects, such as sheets, clothing and needles, as indicated by the WHO.

The main symptoms include skin lesions, usually accompanied by fever, body aches, headache, chills and weakness. The Ministry of Health reports that the incubation period, that is, the time between contact with the virus and the appearance of the first symptoms, varies between three and 16 days, and can reach up to 21 days.

Skin lesions may be flat or slightly raised and may contain a clear or yellowish fluid. As the disease progresses, these lesions may form crusts, which dry and fall off. Lesions are most common on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet, but they can also appear on other areas of the body, such as the mouth, eyes, genitals, and anus.

Featured Photo: Illustrative image by Mpox (Reproduction/Getty Images Embed/Kateryna Kon Science Photo Library)