On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the monkeypox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which followed the Africa Centres for Disease and Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). The WHO decision recognizes the potential threat this virus poses to countries around the world. HHS is supportive of this decision.
The United States Government, including HHS, has been supporting the response to DRC’s current clade I monkeypox outbreak since 2023, including case surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, laboratory supplies and diagnostics, infection prevention and control, increasing capacity for local field epidemiologists, and vaccine planning.
HHS continues to work closely with WHO, other U.S. Government agencies, Ministries of Health in the region, and other international partners to assist with the outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa. CDC has reiterated that at this time, the risk to the general public in the United States from clade I monkeypox is low , and there are no known cases in the United States at this time. The United States is well prepared to rapidly detect, contain, and manage clade I cases should they occur domestically.
CDC Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) Dr. Demetre Daskalakis discusses 2023 Clade I monkeypox outbreak, how to protect yourself, and monkeypox vaccines.
Important Monkeypox Information from Around the Department
Resources from CDC
Learn more about monkeypox, how it spreads, signs and symptoms, treatments and vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC Information on Clade 1 Outbreak
Get the latest information about the Clade 1 Monkeypox outbreak in central Africa.
ASPR Response
Learn how the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is delivering monkeypox vaccines to public health partners in states and major metropolitan areas across the country.
Research
Learn about U.S. government research on monkeypox virus in response to the current outbreak and to prevent future outbreaks.
WHO Declares Monkeypox Public Health Emergency of International Concern
Read about the US Government’s response to Clade I monkeypox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries.