The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised new concern over the spread of mpox, after confirming the clade Ib strain in several countries outside Africa, including Europe and Asia.
The update appeared in the 59th WHO Situation Report on the multi-country mpox outbreak. The document reviewed the global and regional situation as of September and October 2025. WHO also said it will now release situation reports every month.
WHO Mpox Clade Ib Report Shows Global Increases
According to the latest figures, 42 countries reported 3,135 confirmed cases of mpox and 12 deaths in September 2025. The case fatality rate stands at 0.4 percent. Over 80 percent of these infections came from the African Region.
The African, Eastern Mediterranean, Americas, and Western Pacific regions saw declines in case numbers. However, the European and South-East Asian regions recorded new increases during the same period.
Africa Reports 2,862 Cases in Six Weeks
Between 14 September and 19 October 2025, 17 African countries logged 2,862 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, giving a CFR of 0.6 percent. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Kenya, and Ghana recorded the highest case counts.
The DRC continues to record a steady drop. In contrast, Kenya and Liberia are seeing upward trends, while Ghana shows early signs of decline.
Mpox Clade Ib Detected Beyond Africa
Since the last update, Malaysia, Namibia, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain have reported clade Ib of the virus for the first time. Travellers in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Qatar, and Spain also tested positive for the same strain.
Six countries — Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United States — have now confirmed local infections among people without travel history. This shows that community transmission has begun outside Africa.
WHO also confirmed five clade Ib mpox cases among men who have sex with men. The agency said these cases provide the first evidence of local circulation of this strain in that group, which had only recorded clade IIb infections since 2022.
WHO Rates Global Risk as Moderate
The WHO now rates the public health risk as moderate for men who have sex with men, and low for the general population in non-endemic countries.
The agency warned that uninterrupted human-to-human transmission could lead to sustained community spread.
About Mpox
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus.
Common symptoms include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. While most cases remain mild, the disease can become severe in children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
For further details, visit the WHO official mpox updates page.
