On Aug 14, 2024, WHO declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.¹ The Democratic Republic of the Congo is particularly affected. The importance of exclusive breastfeeding for infant survival has been widely shown, and is of particular relevance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where new mpox cases are increasing, including among breastfeeding women.
During outbreaks of viral pathogens, whether breastmilk or breastfeeding can transmit the relevant virus is often questioned (ie, during the COVID-19 pandemic and Ebola outbreaks). A priori, guidelines often state that breastmilk should be withheld from infants without evidence of transmission. A 2021 study estimated that many newborns separated from their mothers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 probably had higher mortality from being denied breastmilk than from contracting the virus from mothers who were infected.²