Mpox: affected countries

Global overview

There are 2 major genetic groups (clades) of MPXV, clade I (formerly known as Central African or Congo basin clade) and clade II (formerly known as West African clade). Clade I is split into clade Ia and clade Ib. Clade II is split into clade IIa and clade IIb, and all clades have subgroup clusters called lineages. The majority of the cases seen in the global outbreak which started in 2022 were from clade IIb, lineage B.1. The latest epidemiological data on mpox (all clades) can be found on the World Health Organization (WHO) mpox surveillance dashboard.

Figure 1. Geographic distribution of MPXV clades, by country, as of 13 March 2025 (adapted from the World Health Organization multi-country external situation report). The map is not indicative of ongoing outbreaks and is generated from available laboratory data associated with both travel-associated and locally acquired cases.

Table 1. Countries reporting the highest number of recent mpox cases (all clades). Adapted from WHO Global mpox trends, updated 225 March 2025. Data as of 3128 JanuaryFebruary 2025

Clade I mpox outbreak: 2024 to 2025

On 14 August 2024, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in response to the upsurge of clade I mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of countries in the African Region. This outbreak remains ongoing, with evidence of sustained community transmission in several countries, as per Table 2.

Travel-associated clade I mpox cases outside the African Region have been reported in several countries. Whilst there is currently no evidence of sustained community transmission of clade I mpox outside of African Region countries, limited local transmission (for example, household transmission) has been reported in Belgium, China, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Figure 2. African region countries reporting laboratory confirmed clade I mpox (historic or current)

Mpox of an unknown clade has been reported in Gabon but is presumed to be clade I (due to case travel history).

Table 2. Countries with evidence of ongoing clade I mpox transmission or exportation during the 2024 to 2025 outbreak