Portugal reports community transmission of mpox clade Ib subvariant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported community transmission of the mpox clade Ib subvariant in Portugal. According to a recent epidemiological report, Portugal has recorded 66 cases of this specific lineage within the last six weeks.

Community transmission is defined by the WHO as occurring when at least one reported case in a six-week period has no link to recent travel or to a traveler from a country with community transmission during the incubation period.

In Europe, Spain has reported the highest cumulative number of clade Ib cases with 241, followed by France with 173, Portugal with 162, and Germany with 140. Regarding recent six-week case counts, Portugal leads with 66, followed by Germany (24), France (20), the United Kingdom (18), and Ireland (12).

The WHO maintains that the global risk associated with mpox remains moderate, noting that over a thousand cases are confirmed monthly worldwide, with approximately three-quarters of infections occurring in African countries.