The Municipal Health Department issued, today, Tuesday (20), a Technical note With guidance for professionals and services on the diagnosis of monkeypox (Mpox). Porto Alegre recorded three confirmed cases of the disease in 2024. Two of them are people who live in the city and traveled to places where the infection occurred (Rio de Janeiro and a Canadian city). The third case is a person residing in São Paulo who traveled to Porto Alegre, where he was treated and underwent a laboratory test that was positive.
The document emphasizes the importance and procedures for reporting suspected cases to epidemiological surveillance. It also provides data on case definition, incubation and transmission periods, virus characteristics and mutations, indications for testing, and recommendations for isolation when indicated. Aspects related to disease treatment, procedures for collecting samples for testing, and indications for vaccination are also addressed.
On August 14, the World Health Organization A public health emergency of international concern has been declared due to smallpox.This measure takes into account the increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries, with the potential for them to spread to other African countries and beyond the continent. A new variant of the virus has also been identified, which is more transmissible and causes more severe disease. By 2024, the number of cases in Africa will reach more than 15,000, with 537 deaths so far. This is higher than the number recorded in 2023.
Brazilian Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Center Installation For Mpox in the country last week. In 2024, 709 cases were recorded in Brazil, with the largest number in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.