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MPOX

MPox

Mpox

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is caused by a virus related to the virus that causes smallpox.  Regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation, anyone who has been in close, personal contact with someone who has Mpox is at risk. You can reduce your risk by following recommended prevention steps. 

Vaccination is an important tool in stopping the spread of Mpox.  

Learn more from the CDC https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/index.html

More information from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is available here.

  • Collection and Transport of Possible Mpox Specimens for Testing at NPHL

Clinical Recognition: Identifying Mpox

Key Characteristics for Identifying Mpox can be found on the CDC Clinical Recognition page here.

Mpox Disease Stages

Mpox disease is characterized by an incubation period, prodrome, and rash.  Learn more about each stage here.

 

Vaccinations

Vaccination is an important tool in preventing the spread of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). If you are at risk for mpox but haven’t received your two-dose vaccine yet, temporarily changing some parts of your sex life might reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. This includes the time between your first and second shots of vaccine. Your protection will be highest two weeks after your second dose of vaccine.

Reducing or avoiding behaviors that increase risk of mpox exposure is also important when you are between your first and second shots of vaccine. Your protection will be highest when you are two weeks after your second dose of vaccine.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Vaccination is recommended if:

  • 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
    • Sex in exchange for money or other items
  • You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
  • You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
  • You have HIV or other causes of immune suppression and have had recent or anticipate future risk of mpox exposure from any of the above scenarios
  • You work in settings where you may be exposed to mpox
    • You work with orthopoxviruses in a laboratory

Where Can I Get Tested for Mpox?

Call your primary care provider and tell them you need to be tested for mpox.

  • Avoid sex or being intimate with anyone until you have been checked out by a healthcare provider.
  • If you don’t have a provider or health insurance, you can call Good Neighbor Community Health Center at (402) 562-7500.
  • When you see a healthcare provider, wear a mask, and remind them that this virus is circulating in the area.
  • Avoid gatherings, especially if they involve close, personal, skin-to-skin contact.
  • Think about the people you have had close, personal, or sexual contact during the last 21 days, including people you met through dating apps. To help stop the spread, you might be asked to share this information if you have received an mpox diagnosis.

Where Can I Get Vaccinated?

Mpox vaccines are available at

  • East Central District Health Department. Call (402) 562-7500 ext. 280 to make your appointment.

How Long Does It Take for the Vaccine to Work?

You can start to have an immune response after the first dose of the vaccine, but it takes two weeks after the second dose to be the most protected.

It’s not known how long protection might last, or if protection might decrease over time. Current data and studies are being used to enhance the knowledge on how well the JYNNEOS vaccine works during the current mpox outbreak, as well as how long protection might last. These studies will be used to make future vaccine recommendations.

How Do I Prevent Getting Mpox?

  • Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like mpox.
    • Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with mpox.
    • Do not kiss, cuddle, hug, or have sex with someone with mpox.
    • Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with mpox.
  • Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with mpox.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

More Information

To learn more about mpox, including:

  • How it spreads
  • Infection after vaccination.
  • What to do if you're a close contact
  • What to do if you are sick

Please visit the CDC's Your Health mpox page here.

 

Mpox Symptoms

People with mpox often get a rash that may be located on hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, including penis, testicles, labia, and vagina, and anus.  The incubation period is 3-17 days. During this time, a person does not have symptoms and may feel fine.

The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing.

The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

Other symptoms of mpox can include:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Exhaustion
  • Muscle aches and backache
  • Headache
  • Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)

You may experience all or only a few symptoms

Sometimes, people have flu-like symptoms before the rash.

Some people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms.

Others only experience a rash.

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