About monkeypox
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
- The 2022 outbreak has identified cases of monkeypox in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the United States.
- Smallpox vaccines work on monkeypox. If someone has confirmed, high-risk exposure, the smallpox vaccine can be given within four days to help prevent disease.
- Most people recover from monkeypox without treatment or hospitalization. There are effective treatments for people with severe monkeypox.
- Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact including:
- Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox. We believe this is currently the most common way that monkeypox is spreading in the U.S.
- Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- Contact with respiratory secretions.
- While monkeypox is not an STD, close, personal contact can happen during intimate contact, including:
- Oral, anal, and vaginal sex or touching the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) of a person with monkeypox.
- Hugging, massage, and kissing.
- Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, such as bedding, towels, fetish gear, and sex toys.
- While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is spreading through specific social networks, including men who have sex with men. If you are a man who has sex with other men, you are more likely to be exposed to monkeypox at this time.
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
- Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox.
- Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
- Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox.
- Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
- If you are attending large social gatherings, such as raves, concerts, or clubs, consider minimizing skin-to-skin contact.
- Consider certain strategies to reduce risk during sex.
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
- A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
Learn more at: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html
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Testing
If you have symptoms of monkeypox, your healthcare provider will be able to test you for monkeypox. This is done by swabbing two different lesions, or sites of rash on the body, to collect DNA. The swabs are then sent to labs for testing in sterile containers.
Treatment
There are no treatments specifically for monkeypox virus infections. However, because of genetic similarities in the viruses, vaccines and antiviral drugs developed to protect against and treat smallpox may be used to treat monkeypox infections.
Vaccination
There are two vaccines approved for monkeypox, JYNNEOS and ACAM2000. JYNNEOS is the preferred vaccine for nearly everyone. You can read more about the differences in the vaccines on the CDC website.
Based on updated eligibility guidance from DHS, vaccination is now recommended for:
- People who know that a sexual partner in the past 14 days was diagnosed with monkeypox.
- People who attended an event or venue where there was known monkeypox exposure.
- Gay, bisexual, trans, and any other men who have sex with men, who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days.
If you had close, personal contact with someone confirmed to have monkeypox, have symptoms of monkeypox, or believe you meet eligibility criteria for vaccination, please contact your healthcare provider to get connected with testing and treatment.
This page updated as of: 08.2022
