Mpox Virus: Symptoms, Spread, Treatment, and News
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Nov 2026
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics
Synopsis
Learn about the mpox virus, formerly monkeypox, including its symptoms, how it spreads, treatment, vaccines, outbreak history, and the latest updates and news.
At a Glance
- 1 - Clade IIb caused the global mpox outbreak that began in 2022.
- 2 - Some people with mpox have only one or a few sores, while others have hundreds or more.
- 3 - The mpox virus is a double-stranded DNA virus in the same genus as the virus that caused smallpox.
- 4 - After contact with someone who has mpox, the vaccine should be given within 4 days, and it can be given up to 14 days after contact.
Topic Definition
- Mpox
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare zoonotic disease caused by infection with the mpox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus and family Poxviridae, which also includes the virus that causes smallpox. Its symptoms resemble a milder form of smallpox and often begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash of pimple or blister-like lesions that can appear on the face, mouth, hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus and usually clear within two to four weeks. The virus spreads through close contact with an infected person or animal, contaminated objects, respiratory droplets, and lesion material, and it is recognized in two main types, the more severe clade I (formerly the Congo Basin clade) and the milder clade II (formerly the West African clade). Most people recover without specific treatment, though children, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of serious illness.
Overview
What is Mpox?
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus. The same group includes the variola virus, which caused smallpox. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms but usually milder, and most people fully recover, though some become very sick. Mpox is not related to chickenpox [World Health Organization, 2024].
When the outbreak of mpox expanded in 2022, racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings, and in some communities was observed and reported to WHO. Following consultations with global experts, WHO began using a new preferred term, "mpox," as a synonym for monkeypox in November 2022, and mpox replaced monkeypox as the preferred term after a transition period of one year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has twice declared mpox a global health emergency. On July 23, 2022, the WHO Director-General declared the escalating global mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), which ended in May 2023. A second PHEIC, declared on August 14, 2024, for the spread of clade Ib in Africa, ended on September 5, 2025, although mpox remains a public health concern.
Mpox was first identified as a distinct illness in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Copenhagen, Denmark. The natural animal reservoir of the virus is unknown, but various small mammals, such as squirrels and monkeys, can be infected. Human cases have increased greatly since the 1980s, possibly because immunity has waned since routine smallpox vaccination ended.
Mpox Clades
There are two distinct clades, or types, of the monkeypox virus: clade I, with subclades Ia and Ib, and clade II, with subclades IIa and IIb. Clade IIb caused the global outbreak that began in 2022. Clades Ia and Ib have caused growing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa, and clade Ib has also been detected beyond Africa since August 2024 [World Health Organization, 2024].
How Mpox Spreads
Mpox spreads from person to person mainly through close contact with someone who has mpox, including members of a household. Close contact includes skin-to-skin contact (such as touching or sex), mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing), and being face-to-face with someone who has mpox, which can spread infectious respiratory particles. People with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk. Mpox is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection, because it does not need contact with genital fluids to spread, but it spreads easily through the close contact that happens during sex.
People can also get mpox from contaminated objects such as clothing or bedding, through needle injuries in health care, or in community settings such as tattoo parlors. The virus can pass to a baby during pregnancy or birth, which can lead to pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or death of the newborn. People can catch mpox from infected animals through bites or scratches, or during hunting, skinning, cooking, or eating them.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stressed the importance of avoiding stigma when talking about who is affected by mpox, including gay and bisexual men.
Symptoms of Mpox
Symptoms usually begin within a week of exposure but can start anywhere from 1 to 21 days after; the time from exposure to the onset of symptoms is the incubation period. Symptoms usually last 2 to 4 weeks but may last longer in people with a weakened immune system. Common symptoms are:
- Rash
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Muscle aches and back pain
- Low energy
- Swollen lymph nodes
For some people the rash is the first symptom, while others have fever, muscle aches, or a sore throat first. The rash often begins on the face and spreads over the body, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but it can also start where contact happened, such as the genitals. The sores start flat, become blisters filled with fluid that may itch or hurt, and then dry up, crust over, and fall off. Some people have only one or a few sores, and others have hundreds or more. Some people also have painful swelling of the rectum or pain when urinating or swallowing.
Colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (teal) found within an infected cell (brown) cultured in the laboratory. Image captured, and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland - Image Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - Mpox Outbreak Highlights Need to Prevent Future Zoonotic Diseases
Complications and Who is at Risk
Children, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems, including people living with HIV that is not well controlled, are at higher risk of serious illness and death. Complications can include bacterial skin infections, pneumonia, eye infection with loss of vision, dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea, and infections of the blood (sepsis), brain (encephalitis), or heart (myocarditis). Estimates of the risk of death have varied from under 1% for clade II to as much as 10% for clade I in past outbreaks.
Diagnosis
Mpox can look like other conditions, such as chickenpox, measles, herpes, syphilis, and bacterial skin infections, so testing is important. The preferred test detects the virus's DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a swab taken directly from the rash. Testing blood is not recommended. The first FDA-cleared test, the CDC's Non-variola Orthopoxvirus Real-time PCR Primer and Probe Set, was cleared in 2022 for use in CDC-designated laboratories.
Treatment of Mpox
There is no proven effective antiviral treatment for mpox. Care focuses on managing pain and fever, caring for the rash, good nutrition and fluids, and preventing and treating complications and other infections, including HIV where present [World Health Organization, 2024]. In 2024, two large clinical trials, PALM007 for clade I in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and STOMP for clade II, found that the antiviral tecovirimat (TPOXX) did not shorten the time to recovery, so it is now mainly kept for people with or at high risk of severe disease.
Mpox Vaccines
Two vaccines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent mpox: JYNNEOS (Imvanex), approved in 2019, and ACAM2000, approved for mpox in 2024. Vaccination is recommended for people at high risk, especially during an outbreak, such as health workers at risk of exposure, household and close contacts of someone with mpox, people with multiple sex partners, including men who have sex with men, and sex workers. After contact with someone who has mpox, the vaccine should be given within 4 days, and it can be given up to 14 days after contact if no symptoms have appeared. People who received a smallpox vaccine in the past may have some protection, but the general public is not advised to be vaccinated.
Recovery and Isolation
Most people with mpox recover within 2 to 4 weeks. People with mpox can pass it on until all sores have healed and a new layer of skin has formed, so public health authorities may ask them to isolate at home or in another location, cover their sores, and avoid close contact with others.
The 2022 Global Outbreak
The first case of the 2022 outbreak was found in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2022, in a person with travel links to Nigeria, where the disease is endemic. It was the first time mpox spread widely outside Central and West Africa. From mid-May, cases were reported from a growing number of countries, mostly in Europe but also in North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Many cases showed genital and anal sores, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and pain when swallowing, and some people had only a single sore.
Clade I Spread in 2024
On August 15, 2024, a day after WHO declared its second mpox emergency, Sweden confirmed the first case of clade I mpox outside Africa, in a person who had recently traveled to an area with a large outbreak. As part of the U.S. response, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) set out research priorities that include new treatments such as antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, better tests, ways to stretch vaccine supplies and develop new vaccines, and research on how all clades of the virus spread and how the immune system responds to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the name monkeypox changed to mpox?
The World Health Organization introduced mpox as the preferred name to reduce stigmatizing and racist language linked to the earlier term, phasing it in over a transition period.
How long is a person with mpox contagious?
A person is generally considered contagious from when symptoms begin until all lesions have scabbed, crusted, and healed with fresh skin underneath, which often takes two to four weeks.
Can mpox be prevented?
Risk can be lowered through vaccination for eligible people, avoiding close contact with those who have symptoms, good hand hygiene, and not sharing bedding or personal items with an infected person.
Is mpox a sexually transmitted infection?
Mpox is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection since it does not require contact with genital fluids, but it spreads easily through the close skin contact that occurs during sex.
How is mpox diagnosed?
Mpox is diagnosed with a laboratory PCR test using a swab taken directly from a lesion, since approved testing relies on lesion samples rather than blood or saliva.
Can you get mpox more than once?
Reinfection is considered possible, so people who have recovered are still encouraged to follow prevention measures and vaccination guidance where recommended.
How should someone care for mpox at home?
People are usually advised to isolate as directed by health authorities, keep the rash clean and dry, avoid scratching, manage pain and fever, and stay in contact with a health provider.
What are clade I and clade II mpox?
Mpox viruses fall into two main groups, clade I and clade II. Clade II caused the 2022 global outbreak, while clade I, including the newer clade Ib, has been linked to more severe illness and led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency in 2024.
References
- World Health Organization. (2024). Mpox [Fact sheet].
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team. Last updated: