Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Level 4 - Avoid All Travel
Level 3 - Reconsider Nonessential Travel
Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions
Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions

Key points

  • There is an outbreak of mpox in 22 out of 26 provinces, including urban areas, in the DRC (see map).
  • Person-to-person transmission has occurred during this outbreak, including through sexual contact, household contact, and within the healthcare setting.
  • Vaccination against mpox is recommended for people with certain risk factors.
  • Travelers should:
    • Avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.
    • Avoid contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings) or that came into contact with infected animals.
    • Avoid contact with dead or live wild animals, such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).
    • Avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from endemic countries throughout Central and West Africa (creams, lotions, powders).
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others.
    • Tell your doctor if you traveled to the DRC within the last 21 days before developing symptoms.
  • If you are sick and could have mpox, follow isolation and infection control measures at home and during travel. See additional information about what to do if you are sick with mpox.

Traveler Information

Clinician Information

Pink shading indicates provinces with confirmed and suspect cases of mpox.
Pink shading indicates provinces with confirmed and suspect cases of mpox. (View larger)
What is Mpox?

Mpox is a disease caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Mpox is endemic throughout Central and West Africa near forests.

People usually become infected with the monkeypox virus through contact with the skin lesions or bodily fluids of infected animals or humans (alive or dead), including respiratory droplets, or through contact with materials contaminated with the virus. Transmission also occurs through intimate contact, including sex, with an infected person.

Symptoms often include fever (≥100.4°F), rash, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Fever is not always present. Lesions typically develop at the same time and evolve together on any given part of the body. Mpox is a potentially fatal disease.

There is a vaccine available for mpox.