Monkeypox is a disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. This virus is in the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. However, while monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, they are milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
People with monkeypox usually develop a rash that may be located on or near the genitals and groin area, and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.
The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.
Here are some examples from the
CDC website:
Other symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Exhaustion
- Muscle aches and backache
- Headache
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
You may experience all or only a few symptoms
- Sometimes, people have flu-like symptoms before the rash.
- Some people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms.
- Others only experience a rash.
Monkeypox symptoms usually start within 2-3 weeks of exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later.
Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
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.
- Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
- Contact with respiratory secretions.
This direct contact can happen during intimate contact, including:
- Sexual contact involving the genital area of a person with monkeypox.
- Hugging, massage, and kissing.
- Prolonged close face-to-face contact.
- Touching fabrics and objects during sex that were used by a person with monkeypox and that have not been disinfected, including bedding and towels.
During pregnancy, the fetus can also get monkeypox through the placenta.
It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.
A person with monkeypox can spread it to others 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.
While monkeypox does not spread as easily as many other infections, anyone can get monkeypox due to prolonged close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox, or contact with personal items that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.
People who may be at higher risk might include, but are not limited to, those who:
- Had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox
- Had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity; currently, there is considerable spread in the U.S. among men who have sex with men.
To reduce your risk of monkeypox infection:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox, who are suspected to have monkeypox, or have been confirmed to have monkeypox.
- Avoid contact with the space that the person with monkeypox has been in, and avoid handling objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
- Wash your hands often, especially before eating or touching your face, and after you use the restroom.
Note: Monkeypox during pregnancy can be very serious. Those who are pregnant or may be planning to become pregnant should review
this information from the CDC.
If you believe you may have monkeypox, you should:
- Contact your healthcare provider
- Go to any Deaconess Clinic Urgent Care or EXPRESS location
- You can also contact the health department in your community
Because monkeypox can spread through close contact, please wear a mask around others, including to your appointment.
Extensive guidance for isolation from others
is available from the CDC.
At this time, state health departments are administering vaccines primarily to treat people who have been a close contact of a case, as vaccinating a close contact can help prevent severe disease.
If you have been a close contact with someone who has been confirmed as having monkeypox, contact your Deaconess provider or your local health department.
These vaccines, when used after close exposure (called postexposure prophylactic vaccination) must be given within 14 days of exposure.
There are antiviral treatments that can help reduce the severity of monkeypox illnesses, and may be recommended for people who are more likely to become severely ill (such as patients with weakened immune symptoms).