This is a translation of the original article in Portuguese. Read the original (Português).
Brazil recorded 1,009 mpox cases in 2026, according to the Ministry of Health. The data was published by the Brazilian newspaper Gazeta de Alagoas, which reports that notifications have accelerated since October.
The most striking finding is the presence of clade 1b, a lineage associated with the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The variant is gaining ground in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, two of the largest urban centers in the country.
In Rio, the proportion is high: since September, 73% of cases in which the lineage was identified belong to clade 1b. The percentage applies only to samples in which the lineage was identified, not to all reported cases.
Why this matters
The circulation of a variant linked to an African outbreak in large cities is a warning sign for public health across the country. Capitals concentrate airports, heavy flows of people and health networks that receive patients from many regions. For that reason, what happens in São Paulo and Rio often serves as a barometer for the other states.
What readers should watch for
Mpox is an infectious disease that often causes skin lesions. Anyone who notices suspicious sores or rashes, especially after close contact with someone who has the disease, should seek a health facility for evaluation and diagnosis. Clear information and access to testing are central to the response, as is vaccination.
The Ministry of Health has yet to detail how vaccine supply stands and which groups will be prioritized in the face of the new lineage’s spread.
International context
The spread of mpox is unfolding alongside other diseases that are straining health systems abroad, including cholera outbreaks and a measles epidemic. The overlap of crises reinforces the importance of surveillance and rapid response, since diseases circulating in other regions of the world can easily reach Brazil.
For readers, the immediate message is one of attention: follow the guidance of local health authorities, seek care when symptoms appear, and keep vaccination records up to date, as official campaigns recommend.
Reporting from Gazeta de Alagoas (p. 17, caderno Nacional).
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