Mpox Cases in Rio State Already Exceed 2025 Total
State Health Department confirms 211 cases in 2026, compared with 119 last year, with no deaths recorded; the capital accounts for 167.
Translated from the Portuguese original by the Panorama newsroom. Read in Portuguese
Summary written by the Panorama newsroom from the sources listed below. Facts are attributed to the original publications.
Rio de Janeiro state recorded 211 confirmed mpox cases in 2026 through November 1, more than the 119 in all of 2025, according to the State Health Department. Folha reports that there were no deaths in either period.
In the capital, the city government's epidemiological dashboard, updated through October 29, shows 167 confirmations, compared with 94 the previous year. The department says it is closely monitoring the situation, but did not answer the question about hypotheses for the increase.
Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a viral disease whose name was changed by the WHO at the end of 2022 to reduce stigma. The classic symptoms are fever, body aches, prostration and swollen lymph nodes, followed by skin lesions after three or four days.
There is no specific medication, and most cases resolve on their own. Severity is mainly associated with a compromised immune system.
Prevention includes avoiding contact with the lesions of suspected cases, not sharing towels and bed linen, and going to a health facility if suspicious lesions appear.