Mpox is back – and in new countries. How can this outbreak be contained?

A resurgence of mpox has emerged in Guinea Bissau, marking the country’s first reported outbreak of the virus, which has now spread globally. While previous cases were largely confined to small outbreaks in African nations where the disease was endemic, recent years have seen nearly 190,000 confirmed cases across 145 countries. Health officials are noting a shift in the virus’s impact, particularly among children, raising concerns about its evolving transmission patterns. The sudden reappearance in a new region underscores the need to understand how mpox is changing and who may now be at greater risk.

The public health emergencies in 2022 and 2024 saw the virus reported in 145 countries, but in the new cases children appear particularly affectedA fresh outbreak of mpox in Guinea Bissau – the country’s first – means the virus formerly known as monkey pox is back in the headlines. So what has changed?Since 2022, there have been almost 190,000 lab-confirmed cases of mpox reported worldwide in 145 countries. Before then, outbreaks of mpox tended to be relatively small and in a handful of African countries, where the viral infection was known to be endemic. Continue reading...