- Mpox (monkeypox) is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopox virus.
- There are two types of Monkeypox virus: clade I and clade II.
- Clade I is associated with more severe illness and higher mortality rates, with some outbreaks resulting up to 10% of cases being fatal. This clade is primarily found in Central Africa.
- Clade II, which triggered the global outbreak starting in 2022, generally causes milder infections. More than 99.9% of people infected with clade II mpox survive.
- Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Mpox can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
- Laboratory confirmation of mpox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR.
Self-care and prevention
Most people with mpox will recover within 2–4 weeks. To aid recovery and prevent transmission:
Do’s
- Isolate at home and stay in own room if possible.
- Wash hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer, especially before or after touching sores
- Wear a mask and cover lesions when around other people until rash heals
- Keep skin dry and uncovered (unless in a room with someone else)
- Avoid touching items in shared spaces and disinfect shared spaces frequently
- Use saltwater rinses for sores in the mouth
- Take sitz baths or warm baths with baking soda or Epsom salts for body sores
- Use over-the-counter medications for pain like paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen.
Do not’s
- Pop blisters or scratch sores, which can slow healing, spread the rash to other parts of the body, and cause sores to become infected; or
- Shave areas with sores until scabs have healed and new skin has formed, as this can also spread the rash.
To prevent spread of mpox to others, persons with mpox should isolate at home, or in hospital if needed, for the duration of the infectious period (from onset of symptoms until lesions have healed and scabs fall off). Covering lesions and wearing a medical mask when in the presence of others may help prevent spread.
