No mpox cases detected in Saudi Arabia: Health authority

No cases of mpox Clade 1b have been detected in Saudi Arabia despite the global outbreak, the Saudi Public Health Authority confirmed on Saturday.

The authority stressed that the Kingdom was prepared to face all types of health threats by implementing the necessary measures to monitor and curb the spread of the virus, ensuring the safety and well-being of both citizens and residents.

It urged the public to rely on information from official sources and to avoid being misled by rumors or unreliable reports.

The public was also advised against traveling to countries where mpox has been detected.

The World Health Organization earlier declared that the outbreak of mpox, specifically the more deadly and transmissible Clade 1b, in parts of Africa was now a public health emergency of international concern.

A total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox were reported in Africa since the beginning of the year. The hardest hit country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the new Clade 1b strain was first detected in September 2023, reported 1,005 cases (222 confirmed, 783 suspected) and 24 deaths in one week.

The first cases of mpox outside of Africa were recorded this week, in Sweden and Pakistan.