How is mpox transmitted?
Mpox is mainly spread by people with symptoms but can also spread from people with very mild illness who donāt know theyāre infected, or people without visible symptoms yet.
Mpox can be spread through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including:
- āāDirect contact with body fluids of people with mpox, such as drainage from skin sores, saliva, snot, mucus, and areas around the anus, rectum, or vagina. This direct contact can happen during intimate contact, including:
- āOral, anal, or vaginal sex, or touching the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butt) of a person with mpox
- Hugging, massage, and kissing
- Prolonged face-to-face contact, such as can occur during kissing or cuddling.
Touching items (such as bedding towels, clothing, cups, and utensils) that previously touched the sores or body fluids of people with mpox is considered lower risk. However, precautions should be taken when directly caring for a person with mpox, including wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
To date, there has been no evidence that mpox is spread by:
- āAttending an outdoor event with fully clothed people
- Trying on clothes or shoes at the store
- Traveling in an airport, on a plane or on other public transit
- Swimming in a pool or body of water
- Going to a public setting (grocery store, restaurant, workplace, restroom)
See CDC | How Mpox Spreads for more information.
If you believe you may have exposed someone to mpox while you were infectious, you can let them know anonymously (consider using tellyourpartner.orgā), so they can self-monitor for 21-days, get vaccinated to reduce the risk of serious infection, and be tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop. Testing is strongly encouraged to help identify and prevent infection.
āIf you have symptoms, getting tested for mpox and sexually transmitted infections is strongly encouraged to help identify infections and prevent infections in others. Visit GetTested | CDCā to find a testing location near you.
If you have been exposed to mpox, monitoring for symptoms and avoiding sexual contact with others for 21 days is highly recommended. For people who havenāt already been vaccinated, mpox vaccination is most effective when obtained as soon as possible after exposure and is strongly encouraged for at-risk patients to prevent severe illness.
Is mpox a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?
Sex is just one of the ways that the mpox virus can spread. Mpox primarily spreads from skin-to-skin contact, especially close or intimate physical contact such as sex or touching rashes. Mpox can also spread through contact with contaminated materials like utensils, cups, bedding, towels, clothing, or sex toys.
While mpox has been isolated in semen, scientists are still investigating whether the virus could be spread by exposure to semen or vaginal fluids.
Mpox may look like other STIs that cause a rash on the genitals and anus, including herpes, syphilis, molluscum contagiosum, and chancroid. Mpox may also cause inflammation of the rectum (proctitis), which can result in rectal pain ā something that may also be seen with other STIs. Itās always important to talk to a health care provider as soon as you notice unusual rashes or sores or have rectal pain. For more information, see the CDPH fact sheet on safer sex and mpox (PDF).
When is mpox contagious?
Mpox symptoms usually start from 3 days to 3 weeks after exposure to the virus. People are thought to be contagious until all sores have fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed, which can take several (~2-4) weeks. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows some people can spread mpox virus to others from 1 to 4 days prior to symptoms appearing (CDC | How it Spreads).
Researchers are still trying to understand if the virus can spread from someone who never develops any symptoms. Although the specific infectivity of asymptomatic cases has not yet been determined, the potential prevalence of undetected asymptomatic mpox cases could contribute to the current global pandemic (CDC).
Should parents be concerned about the spread of mpox in classrooms?
We continue to see very low transmission of the virus in the general population, including children. Of the handful of probable or confirmed mpox cases in children, spread has usually been through household contacts.
Could my pet get mpox?
The CDC and CDPH do not currently believe that mpox poses a high risk to pets. However, infected animals (mammals) can spread mpox to people, and people who are infected can spread mpox to animals through close contact, including petting, cuddling, hugging, kissing, licking, sharing sleeping areas, and sharing food.
People with mpox should avoid contact with animals, including pets, domestic animals, and wildlife to prevent spreading the virus. People with mpox should ask another household member or outside friend/family member to care for pets until the person with mpox is fully recovered. For pets in the home, visit CDC | Pets & Mpox.ā
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