Health Topic

Mpox

Mpox (monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by infection with the mpox virus. Learn about the symptoms and how it spreads, and vaccinations.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Monkeypox

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Mpox

Mpox, which used to be called monkeypox, is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. This virus is in the same family of viruses as the smallpox virus.

Mpox can be spread between animals and people, but it's mainly spread through close contact with someone who has it. It is found regularly in parts of Central, Eastern and West Africa. The virus that causes it has been found in small rodents, monkeys, and other mammals that live in these areas.

Some outbreaks of mpox have affected people in many countries around the world, including the United States.

There are two types of monkeypox viruses:

  • Clade I is regularly found in Central and Eastern Africa. It causes more severe illness and deaths than clade II.
  • Clade II is regularly found in West Africa. Infections from clade II are less severe. Most people who get this type will survive. This type is the cause of the global mpox outbreak that peaked in 2022 but has continued to decrease.

Mpox spreads in different ways:

  • Through close, personal contact with someone who has the virus: Through direct contact with their rash, scabs, or body fluids
  • By breathing in the virus during prolonged, face-to-face contact
  • During intimate physical contact such as kissing, cuddling, hugging, massage or sex
  • By being scratched or bitten by the animal
  • By preparing or eating meat or using products from the animal

Someone who has mpox can spread it from the time their symptoms start until their rash has fully healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed. This usually takes 2-4 weeks.

Researchers have found that some people can spread mpox to others from 1 to 4 days before their symptoms appear. It is not known how often this happens.

The symptoms of mpox usually start within 3 weeks from the time you were exposed to the virus. The symptoms may include:

  • A rash with sores that can look like pimples or blisters. It could be on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus. It goes through different stages, including scabs, before healing. This can take 2-4 weeks.
  • Fever.
  • Chills.
  • Swollen lymph nodes ("swollen glands").
  • Exhaustion.
  • Headache.
  • Muscle aches and backache.
  • Respiratory symptoms, such as a sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough.

You may have all or only a few symptoms:

  • You may get a rash first, followed by other symptoms
  • You may have flu-like symptoms and then develop a rash 1-4 days later
  • You may only get a rash

To find out if you have mpox, your health care provider:

  • Will ask about your symptoms and medical history.
  • Will look at your rash.
  • Will take a sample of tissue from one of the sores so it can be tested for the monkeypox virus.
  • May do blood tests to check for monkeypox virus or for antibodies to the virus. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria.

There are no treatments specifically for mpox, but many people get better on their own.

Since mpox and smallpox are similar, antiviral medicines that treat smallpox may also help treat mpox. Antiviral medicines may be recommended for people have severe mpox or are at risk of severe mpox, for example because they:

  • Have immune system, for example from HIV or other conditions
  • Are pregnant
  • Are children, especially those under age 1
  • Have certain active skin conditions that can cause widespread infection, such as eczema, impetigo, or psoriasis

If you have mpox, it is recommended that you stay home from the time you have symptoms until your mpox rash has healed and a new layer of skin has formed. It would be best to stay in a separate room from your family members and pets if you can.

JYNNEOS is a vaccine that can help prevent mpox (and smallpox). The vaccine is given in two doses 4 weeks apart. Getting both doses gives the best protection.

The vaccine is recommended for people who are at risk of mpox, for example because they:

  • Had or think they could've had exposure to someone with mpox
  • Are a man who has sex with men, who in the last 6 months had: One or more sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • More than one sexual partner
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
  • Sex at a large public event where people had spread mpox
  • With a new partner
  • At a commercial sex venue or large public event
  • In exchange for money or drugs

Check with your provider to see if the vaccine is recommended for you.

There are also other steps you can take to help prevent mpox:

  • Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with the mpox rash. So, while a person is sick with mpox: Do not touch their rash or scabs
  • Do not kiss, hug, cuddle, or have sex with them
  • Do not touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person who has mpox
  • Do not share eating utensils or cups with them
  • If you or someone you live with has mpox, clean and disinfect your home

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It sits within Infections.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Mpox

72 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Symptoms

Treatments and Therapies

Prevention and Risk Factors

Related Issues

Clinical Trials

Patient Handouts

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Mpox, Monkeypox. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Mpox, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.