Mpox is a disease caused by the mpox virus. Mpox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder. Mpox is rarely fatal.
Mpox virus was first found in laboratory monkeys in 1958. The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970. Prior to the 2022 U.S. outbreak, nearly all mpox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs, or through imported animals.
- Mpox can be acquired by all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation
- Mpox causes a rash
- Mpox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. This can take several weeks.
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Symptoms of mpox can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- 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
- The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2–4 weeks.
Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.
Symptoms usually appear 3–17 days after exposure.
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Mpox can spread through:
- Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
- Direct contact with respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex
- Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
- Being scratched or bitten by an infected animal or by eating meat or using products from an infected animal
- The placenta to a fetus
A person who is sick with mpox should isolate at home. If they have an active rash or other symptoms, they should be in a separate room or area from other family members and pets when possible.
People who do not have mpox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.
Mpox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2–4 weeks.
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To prevent mpox:
- Avoid close, skin to skin contact with the mpox rash
- Do not touch the rash or scabs of person with mpox
- Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with mpox
- Do not share eating utensils or cups
- Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a sick person
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after contact with sick people
- In Central and West Africa, avoid contact with animals that can spread mpox virus, usually rodents and primates. Also, avoid sick or dead animals, as well as bedding or other materials they have touched.
A person who is sick with mpox should isolate at home. If they have an active rash or other symptoms, they should be in a separate room or area from other family members and pets when possible.
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A healthcare worker will take 2–4 swabs of lesions on different areas of the body and send the samples to a laboratory.
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Most people with mpox get better on their own without treatment.
There are no treatments approved specifically for mpox. However, antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to treat and prevent mpox in people with severe disease or who may be at high risk of severe disease.
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Eligibility Criteria for Vaccination
In Virginia, JYNNEOS is recommended and available for individuals who identify with any of the groups listed below. However, some people who are at higher risk of exposure to mpox may be eligible for a vaccine even if they don't fit into one of these categories. Talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should receive a vaccine.
CDC recommends vaccination against mpox if:
- You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
- You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox
- You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
- A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis)
- More than one sex partner
- You have had any of the following in the past 6 months:
- Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
- Sex related to a large commercial event or in a geographic area (city or county for example) where mpox virus transmission is occurring
- You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
- You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
- You have HIV or other causes of immune suppression and have had recent or anticipate future risk of mpox exposure from any of the above scenarios
- You work in settings where you may be exposed to mpox:
- You work with orthopoxviruses in a laboratory
- You are part of an orthopoxvirus and health care worker response team
About the Vaccine
JYNNEOS has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of mpox. Getting vaccinated shortly after an exposure reduces the risk of developing mpox and can reduce symptoms for those who do get it.
The vaccine is not an effective treatment for those who already have mpox. If you have any symptoms of illness, including symptoms that may indicate you have mpox, please contact a healthcare provider.
The mpox vaccine is free and requires two doses, four weeks apart. A person is not fully protected from mpox until two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine.
On August 29, ACPHD began administering the mpox vaccine using the intradermal (in between the layers of the skin) method and dose in accordance with federal and VDH guidelines. People ages 18 years or older who received their first JYNNEOS dose by the subcutaneous (under the skin) method will receive their second dose by the intradermal method to complete their vaccination series.
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For more information on mpox, visit:
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