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What is mpox?
Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by a virus . Mpox spreads through close contact with someone who’s infected. You can also get it from an infected animal.
There are two known types of mpox virus-one that originated in Central Africa and one that originated in West Africa. The current world outbreak (2022 to 2023) is caused by Clade IIb, a subtype of the less severe West African clade.
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Where else is mpox found?
For decades, mpox was mostly seen in Africa. But it’s occasionally found in other countries, including the United States.
In the summer of 2021, a case of mpox was found in a U.S. resident who had traveled from Nigeria to the United States. Then, 2022 brought outbreaks to regions outside of Africa, including Europe, the Americas and Australia.
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Who does mpox affect?
Anyone can get mpox. In Africa, most cases are among children under 15 years old. Outside of Africa, the disease appears to be more common in men who have sex with men (MSM), but there are numerous cases in people who don’t fall into that category.
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What are the signs and symptoms of mpox?
After exposure, it may be several days to a few weeks before you develop symptoms. Signs of mpox include:
- Fever.
- Rash.
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How is mpox diagnosed?
Because mpox is rare, a healthcare provider may first suspect other rash illnesses, such as measles or chickenpox . But swollen lymph nodes usually distinguish mpox from other poxes.
To diagnose mpox, your healthcare provider takes a tissue sample from an open sore (lesion). Then, they send it to a lab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing (genetic fingerprinting). You may also need to give a blood sample to check for the mpox virus or antibodies your immune system makes.
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Is mpox curable?
Mpox is usually a self-limited disease (gets better without treatment) with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks. Following diagnosis, your healthcare provider will monitor your condition and try to relieve your symptoms, prevent dehydration and give you antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections if they develop.
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How is mpox treated?
There aren’t any currently approved antiviral treatments for mpox. If you’re very sick, your provider might prescribe antiviral drugs like cidofovir or tecovirimat . These drugs are approved to treat other viral infections (like smallpox), but researchers need to learn more about how well they work for mpox.
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