Mpox: Latest Outbreak Updates, Symptoms, and Prevention

Mpox was first discovered in Denmark (1958) in a monkey kept for research, and the first reported human case of mpox was a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, 1970). Mpox can spread from person to person, or sometimes from animals to people. After smallpox was eradicated in 1980 and global smallpox vaccination ended, mpox began to spread more widely across Central, Eastern, and Western Africa. A global outbreak occurred during 2022–2023. The exact origin of the virus is still unclear, but small mammals such as squirrels and monkeys may be reservoirs.

What is mpox?

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), an enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus within the family Poxviridae, which also includes the variola, cowpox, and vaccinia viruses, among others. The mpox virus has two genetic clades: clade I and clade II.

Anyone can get mpox. It spreads through contact with an infected person via:

• Direct contact, kissing, or sex
• Animals, when hunting, skinning, or preparing them for food
• Contaminated materials such as bedding, clothing, or needles
• Pregnancy, as a pregnant person may transmit the virus to the fetus

If you have mpox:

• Notify people you have been in close contact with recently
• Stay home until all scabs have fallen off and a new layer of skin has formed
• Cover the lesions and wear a well-fitting mask when around others
• Avoid physical contact

Transmission

Person-to-person transmission of mpox can occur through direct contact with infected skin or with other lesions, such as those in the mouth or on the genitals. This includes various forms of contact, such as:

• Face-to-face contact (talking or breathing)
• Skin-to-skin contact (touching, or vaginal/anal sex)
• Mouth-to-mouth contact (kissing)
• Mouth-to-skin contact (oral sex or kissing the skin)
• Respiratory droplets, or prolonged close contact over an extended period

The virus enters the body through broken skin, mucous membranes (such as the mouth, throat, eyes, genitals, or anus), or the respiratory tract. Mpox can spread to household members or partners. People who have multiple sexual partners are at higher risk.

Animal-to-human transmission of mpox occurs when an infected animal passes the virus to a person through a bite or scratch, or through activities such as hunting, skinning, trapping, cooking, playing with animal carcasses, or eating animals. How the virus spreads within animal populations is not yet well understood and is being studied further.

People can also get mpox from contaminated objects such as clothing or bedding, from sharps injuries in health care settings, or in community settings such as tattoo parlors.

Ready to test or start PrEP? * Prices and free services vary by provider. Please check the details before booking. View all providers → 05

Symptoms of mpox

Mpox symptoms usually appear within one week, though for some people it may take longer—2 to 3 weeks after exposure. Symptoms typically last 2 to 4 weeks, but in some people with a weakened immune system they may last longer.

Common symptoms of mpox include:

• Rash
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Back pain
• Fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes

For some people, the first symptom of mpox is a rash, while others may have other symptoms first. The rash begins as flat lesions that develop into fluid-filled blisters, which may be itchy or painful. As the rash heals, the lesions dry out, crust over, and fall off. Some people may have only one or two skin lesions, while others may have hundreds or more. These lesions can appear anywhere on the body, such as:

• The palms of the hands and soles of the feet
• The face, mouth, and throat
• The groin and genitals
• The anus

Some people may have painful swelling in the anus, or pain and difficulty urinating.

People with mpox can spread the virus to others until all lesions have healed and a new layer of skin has formed.

Children, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications from mpox.

Generally, with mpox, fever, muscle aches, and sore throat appear first. The mpox rash then starts on the face and spreads across the body, including the palms and soles, developing over 2 to 4 weeks through several stages—macules, papules, vesicles, and pustules. The lesions become dimpled in the center before drying out, crusting over, and falling off. Swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy) are a key feature of mpox. Some people may be infected without any symptoms.

In the context of the global mpox outbreak that began in 2022 (caused largely by the clade IIb virus), the disease has presented differently in some people. In more than half of cases, the rash may appear before or at the same time as other symptoms, and it does not always spread across the whole body. The first lesions may appear in the groin, the anal area, or in or around the mouth.

Some people with mpox may experience severe symptoms, such as bacterial skin infections leading to abscesses, or severe skin damage. Other complications include pneumonia, infection of the cornea that can cause vision loss, pain or difficulty swallowing, and vomiting and diarrhea that can lead to dehydration or malnutrition.

Bloodstream infection causing a body-wide inflammatory response (sepsis), inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), heart (myocarditis), rectum (proctitis), genitals (balanitis), or urinary tract (urethritis) can also occur, and mpox can be fatal. People whose immune systems are compromised by medication or a medical condition are at higher risk of severe illness and death from mpox. People living with HIV that is not well controlled or treated often have more severe symptoms.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing mpox can be difficult, because the infection and other conditions can look similar. It is necessary to distinguish mpox from chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, herpes, syphilis, other sexually transmitted infections, and related drug allergies. A person with mpox may have another sexually transmitted infection at the same time, such as herpes, or vice versa; a child suspected of having mpox may also have chickenpox. Diagnostic testing is therefore important for treating patients as early as possible and preventing further spread.

Detecting viral DNA with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the laboratory test most commonly used to diagnose mpox. The best specimen for diagnosis is collected directly from a lesion—such as skin, blister fluid, or scab material—by swabbing firmly. If there are no skin lesions, testing can be done on samples collected from the throat, rectum, or anus. Blood tests are not recommended. Antibody testing may not be helpful, as it cannot distinguish between different orthopoxviruses.

Treatment and vaccination

The goal of treating mpox is to care for the rash, manage pain, and prevent complications. Early care and supportive treatment are important to help manage symptoms and prevent further problems.

Getting the mpox vaccine can help prevent infection. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within 14 days if there are still no symptoms).

People at high risk are advised to be vaccinated to prevent mpox infection, especially during an outbreak. Groups recommended for vaccination include:

• Healthcare workers at risk of exposure
• Men who have sex with men
• People with multiple sexual partners
• Sex workers

PrEP may be one of your options * Prices and free services vary by provider. Please check the details before booking. Explore PrEP options → 10

Self-care and prevention

Most people with mpox recover within 2 to 4 weeks. Things you can do to ease symptoms and prevent spreading the virus to others include:

Do:

• Stay home and stay in your own room if possible
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer, especially before and after touching lesions
• Wear a mask and cover the lesions when near others until the rash heals
• Keep the skin dry and uncovered (unless you are in a room with other people)
• Avoid touching shared items in common areas, and clean shared spaces often
• Use a saltwater rinse for lesions in the mouth
• Take a warm bath or soak with baking soda or Epsom salt for lesions on the body
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen

Don't:

• Do not pop blisters or scratch lesions, as this slows healing, spreads the rash to other parts of the body, and can cause lesions to become infected
• Do not shave over areas with lesions until the scabs have fallen off and new skin has formed underneath (this can spread the rash to other parts of the body)

Preventing the spread of mpox to others

People with mpox should isolate at home, or in a hospital if necessary, for the entire period they can spread the virus (from the onset of symptoms until the lesions have healed and the scabs have fallen off). Covering the lesions and wearing a medical mask when near others can help prevent spread. Using condoms during sex can reduce the risk of getting mpox, but cannot prevent transmission through skin-to-skin or mouth-to-skin contact.

Outbreaks

After 1970, mpox occurred periodically in Central and Eastern Africa (clade I) and Western Africa (clade II). In 2003, an outbreak in the United States was linked to imported wild animals (clade II). Since 2005, thousands of suspected cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) each year. In 2017, mpox re-emerged in Nigeria and has continued to spread among people across the country, including travelers to other destinations. Data on reported cases run through 2021.

In May 2022, a rapidly spreading mpox outbreak occurred in Europe and the Americas, and later across all six WHO regions, with 110 countries reporting about 87,000 cases and 112 deaths. Most (but not all) of the global outbreak affected gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, and it spread from person to person through sexual contact.

In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox—previously known as monkeypox—a public health emergency of international concern, following severe outbreaks in several African countries. The countries hardest hit by this outbreak included Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya, and Rwanda, but the most critical situation was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has reported more than 13,700 cases and 450 deaths since the beginning of 2024.

Reference: who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/monkeypox

Read related articles

• Mpox in Thailand: news updates and case statistics
• Answering all your questions about mpox: an easy-to-understand Q&A

The global mpox outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a strategic preparedness and response plan for mpox, along with a set of technical guidance documents. Surveillance, diagnostic testing, risk communication, and community engagement remain essential to stopping outbreaks and eliminating human-to-human transmission of mpox in all settings.

Verified references

Links and relevance to the article’s main topic were reviewed on 13 August 2026. Each source supports only the scope stated in the original document and does not replace personalised medical, legal, or service advice.

1. WHO: Mpox fact sheet Accessed 13 August 2026
2. CDC: About Mpox Accessed 13 August 2026