What is Mpox?

Mpox is a viral infection caused by the Monkeypox virus. Anyone who is in close physical contact with someone who has MPV can get the illness. Symptoms usually start within three weeks of being exposed and include a rash and fever.

Examples of how it spreads:

• Close skin-to-skin contact with someone who has MPV, including hugging, cuddling, massaging, kissing, and intimate or sexual contact.
• Prolonged, close face-to-face contact from talking, coughing, sneezing, and breathing. This mainly happens when living with or caring for someone who has monkeypox.
• Sharing materials used by a person with monkeypox such as clothing, bedding, towels, and other personal items.

MPV is not spread through casual, brief conversations or walking by someone, like in a store or restaurant. Although anyone can get MPV if they are exposed, the majority of current cases in the U.S. are among males who have sex with males.
 

Who Should Be Vaccinated?

There are no treatments specifically for MPV infections. However, MPV and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox can be used to prevent and treat MPV infections.

The vaccine is available through the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department. The CDC recommends the vaccine be given within four days from the date of exposure for the best chance to prevent the onset of the disease. If given between four and 14 days after the date of exposure, vaccination may reduce the symptoms of the disease but may not prevent the disease.

Who Should Be Vaccinated

CDC recommends vaccination for people who have been exposed to mpox and people who may be more likely to get mpox, including:

• You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
• You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox
• You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
  • A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis)
  • More than one sex partner
• You have had any of the following in the past 6 months:
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
  • Sex related to a large commercial event or in a geographic area (city or county for example) where mpox virus transmission is occurring
• You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
• You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
• You are at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses (e.g., certain people who work in a laboratory or a healthcare facility).

Vaccination Scheduling

To schedule an appointment at a local BLDHD clinic,  call 231-256-0200.
 

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) MPox Vaccination Basics

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Frequently Asked Questions
CDC Health Alert
Michigan Health & Human Services Information
2022 U.S. Map & Case Count
Michigan Case Counts