Portugal registers 29 mpox cases since August

Portuguese health authorities on Tuesday said that there have been 29 confirmed mpox cases in the past three months, with 10 reported in August, three in September and 16 in October.

"In recent weeks, an increase in the number of cases has been observed, suggesting a possible intensification of transmission, although there is still no evidence of a new epidemic peak," the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) and the National Health Institute Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA) told broadcaster RTP.

Stressing that reported cases increased in October compared with the monthly average of approximately 11 cases, DGS and INSA noted that interpreting this rise still depends on laboratory confirmations and the trend of reported cases in the coming weeks.

In an October report, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned that all known strains of the mpox virus remain in circulation, raising concerns about sustained community transmission if outbreaks are not rapidly contained, while a newly detected clade, known as clade Ib, has now spread beyond Africa.