Mpox

Mpox can be passed on from person to person through:

• any close physical contact with mpox rash, blisters or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
• touching things or surfaces used by someone with mpox, such as clothing, bedding or towels
• the coughs or sneezes of a person with mpox when they're close to you

Mpox has not been found in animals in the UK, but you can also catch it from infected animals (usually rodents such as rats, mice and squirrels) if:

• you're bitten
• you touch their fur, skin, blood, body fluids, spots, blisters or scabs
• you eat their meat and it has not been cooked thoroughly

If you get infected with mpox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.

The first symptoms of mpox include:

• a high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
• a headache
• muscle aches
• backache
• swollen glands
• shivering (chills)
• exhaustion
• joint pain

You may not get all of these symptoms.

A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. It can be on any part of the body, including the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, mouth, genitals and anus.

You may also have anal pain or bleeding from your bottom.

The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into sores (ulcers) or small blisters filled with fluid. The blisters eventually form scabs that later fall off.

The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks. While you have symptoms, you can pass mpox on to other people.

You have a rash with blisters or sores (ulcers) and have either:

• had 1 or more new sexual partners in the past 3 weeks
• had sex or sexual contact with someone who has symptoms of mpox but has not travelled to an area with mpox in the past 3 weeks

Stay at home and avoid close contact with other people, including sharing towels or bedding, until you've been told what to do.

Call the clinic before visiting. Tell the person you speak to if you've had close contact with someone who has or might have mpox.

Stay at home and call 111 for advice if you're not able to contact a sexual health clinic.

Mpox is usually mild and can get better within a few weeks without treatment.

But if your symptoms are more severe and you become unwell, you may need treatment in hospital.

The risk of needing treatment in hospital is higher for:

• older people
• young children
• people with a condition or who are taking a medicine that affects their immune system

Because the infection can be passed on through close contact, it's important to isolate if you're told to do so.

Although mpox is rare, there are things you can do to reduce your chance of getting it and passing it on.

• get vaccinated if you're offered the mpox vaccine

• wash your hands with soap and water regularly or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser

• look out for any possible symptoms of mpox for 3 weeks after returning from an area with mpox

• talk to sexual partners about their sexual health and any symptoms they may have

• be aware of the symptoms of mpox if you're sexually active, especially if you have new sexual partners

• take a break from sex and intimate contact if you have symptoms of mpox until you're seen by a doctor and are told you cannot pass it on

• do not share bedding or towels with people who may have mpox

• do not have close contact (within 1 metre) with people who may have mpox

• do not go near wild or stray animals, including animals that appear unwell or are dead, while travelling in central or east Africa

• do not eat or touch meat from wild animals while travelling in central or east Africa

The NHS is offering the mpox vaccine to people who are at increased risk of catching mpox.

You may be eligible to have the mpox vaccine if:

• you're a man who has sex with other men and you have multiple partners, participate in group sex or attend sex-on-premises venues (staff at these venues may also be eligible)
• you have had or will have close contact with someone who has mpox, or have a high risk of being exposed to the virus

Mpox can be passed on by close contact with someone who has it, or by touching items such as clothing, bedding or towels.

Symptoms of mpox include a high temperature, a headache and chills. After a few days, spots, blisters and scabs appear on the skin.

Mpox usually gets better in a few weeks without treatment, but it's important to isolate if you have it to avoid passing it on to other people.

You can lower your risk of mpox by getting vaccinated if you're offered, avoiding close contact with people who have mpox and isolating if you get it.