Four cases of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, have been confirmed in the city of Porto Velho, in the Brazilian state of Rondônia, health officials announced Thursday. The Secretaria de Estado da Saúde (Sesau) reported a total of six notifications of the viral infection in the capital, with two cases currently classified as discarded.
All confirmed cases are receiving medical care at the Centro de Medicina Tropical de Rondônia (Cemetron), where patients are being monitored and provided with guidance while remaining in isolation, according to Sesau. A separate suspected case, initially reported at the Hospital Infantil Cosme e Damião, was later ruled out after testing positive for varicella, commonly known as chickenpox.
The Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Transmission typically occurs through direct contact with lesions, bodily fluids, blood, or contaminated materials, including shared objects. According to the Ministry of Health, the virus can also be contracted through contact with infected wild rodents.
Symptoms of Mpox include skin eruptions or lesions, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue. The incubation period, from initial exposure to the onset of symptoms, typically ranges from three to 16 days, but can extend up to 21 days. Individuals remain contagious until all scabs from the lesions have fallen off.
The lesions associated with Mpox can appear on any part of the body, often starting on the face, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. These lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and eventually form crusts that dry and fall off. The number of lesions can vary significantly, ranging from a few to thousands.
Sesau is continuing to monitor the situation in Rondônia and maintain epidemiological surveillance. Health officials are urging individuals experiencing characteristic lesions, with or without fever, to seek medical attention at a local health unit or urgent care facility.