Mpox: close contact, symptoms and care

Mpox is a viral infection. Anyone can acquire it through relevant contact; a person's identity does not cause infection.

Through close contact, including skin contact, kissing and sex; contaminated towels or bedding can also transmit it. It is not exclusively sexually transmitted.

Painful or itchy lesions, sometimes just one, including around the genitals, anus or mouth. Fever and swollen lymph nodes can occur.

Usually after 6–13 days, sometimes up to 21 days after infection. This incubation period is not a window for a reliable negative test.

A clinician assesses the rash and arranges PCR using lesion material. Do not diagnose from a photograph or collect a sample yourself.

Seek immediate medical help for eye involvement, difficulty breathing or swallowing, severe pain, or inability to drink fluids.

Pregnant people, children and people with weakened immunity, including advanced untreated HIV, face a higher risk of complications.

Until every scab has fallen off and healthy new skin has formed underneath. A resolved fever alone does not mean infectiousness has ended.

Avoid close and sexual contact while awaiting assessment. Do not share towels; follow clinical advice on isolation and notifying close contacts.

After exposure, ask a clinician promptly about vaccination. Eligibility and access depend on local guidance. Ask a clinician where to obtain assessment and testing before visiting.