Brazil recorded 1,055 confirmed cases of mpox and one death by Nov. 13, 2026, according to the national epidemiological panel.
Rio De Janeiro Leads National Mpox Infections
The state of Rio de Janeiro leads the national count with 390 confirmed infections, as reported by UOL. São Paulo e Ceará registram casos da doença, representando parte das infecções confirmadas no país segundo dados do Ministério da Saúde.
The state of Rio de Janeiro confirmed its first death from mpox this year in a patient between 40 and 49 years of age who had a pre-existing immunosuppressive condition, according to the State Health Department, with the fatality occurring in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Health authorities documented cases in October and November, most of which occurred during those two months.
The country previously experienced an extensive outbreak in 2022 when authorities tracked approximately 10.5 thousand infections and 14 fatalities nationwide. By comparison, during the entirety of the previous year, the Ministry of Health logged 1,075 cases and two deaths. Across the historical timeline of notifications since the initial detection in Brazil, cumulative figures surpassed 15,455 instances alongside 19 total recorded deaths.
Emergence of the Clade 1b Variant
Laboratories identified the clade 1b lineage, the same variant that drove the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, across rising numbers of diagnoses in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The O GLOBO report notes that clade 1b accounts for 73% of sequenced samples in Rio de Janeiro since September.
In São Paulo, the variant surpassed clade 2b to become the dominant strain in recent months. For Rafael Galliez, a physician at the Instituto Estadual de Infectologia São Sebastião and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the ongoing statistics do not signal an epidemic, though the upward shift warrants heightened surveillance.
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“The scenario inspires quite a bit of vigilance. Vaccinate this most vulnerable population and, without despair, guide the population extensively,” Carolina Lázari told UOL.
Ministry of Health Secures 25 Thousand Vaccine Doses
The Ministry of Health secured 25 thousand doses of the vaccine through the Pan American Health Organization revolving fund, following negotiations with the Danish manufacturer. Deliveries are scheduled to arrive within three weeks to supplement national stockpiles.
Because global vaccine supplies remain scarce, the agency instructed health departments to adopt intradermal administration, a method used in Europe that stretches available vials. The Rio das Ostras administration reinforces actions for priority groups, including immunocompromised individuals living with HIV/AIDS and laboratory personnel handling Orthopoxviruses.
The immunization protocol mandates two administrations spaced 28 days apart, specifically targeting patients whose CD4 T-cell counts fall below 100 cells per cubic millimeter. Additional eligible recipients comprise individuals utilizing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, along with laboratory workers handling active samples.
Specialized Reference Centers handle the distribution and application rather than standard basic health clinics, while health officials advise that contacts of confirmed patients may receive doses following evaluation by public health surveillance teams.
Symptoms Resemble Common Viral Infections
Initial signs resemble common viral infections with fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue before skin and mucosal lesions appear.
“The initial symptoms are unspecific, with fever, body aches, headache, and malaise. It ends up being attributed to more common viruses,” Lázari explained to UOL.
Health officials recommend avoiding direct physical contact with suspected lesions, washing hands frequently, and maintaining isolation until transmission periods end.