mpox

Mpox is primarily spread through close, intimate contact with symptomatic people, mainly during sexual activity, and can also be transmitted through close personal contact such as massage or cuddling, within households, or by sharing personal items.

A clade II version of the mpox virus caused an international outbreak in 2022 that involved infections in dozens of countries and predominantly affected men who have sex with men.

At one point during the 2022 mpox outbreak in the United States, the country was averaging close to 500 cases per day.

Mpox (monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by a virus in the same family as the smallpox virus and is endemic in parts of Africa; mild symptoms can include fever, chills, and body aches, while more serious cases can produce lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.

Clade I mpox viruses can spread through sexual contact and other forms of close contact and, in Africa, clade I infections have included a broader range of people including children.

Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus.

Both clade I and clade II mpox can spread through intimate physical contact, including direct skin-to-skin contact with an mpox rash, scabs, or body fluids; sharing a living space or personal items with an infected person; and transmission from a pregnant woman to a fetus or baby.

Casual contact in settings such as airplanes, offices, or stores is unlikely to transmit mpox.

People exposed to mpox should receive mpox vaccination as soon as possible and before symptoms develop, should avoid intimate contact for 21 days after exposure, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk of severe disease and hospitalization, so vaccination with the full recommended two-dose series is advised for persons at risk.