Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal.

Monkeypox can spread from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex. Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. Anyone in close personal contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take steps to protect themselves.

Symptoms of monkeypox can include: 

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus. The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others can only experience a rash.

Monkeypox can spread from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex. It is very unlikely that you would catch monkeypox in a classroom setting.

• Avoid close skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox
• Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.

Monkeypox can more accurately be described as "sexually transmissible." In other words, sex is just one of the ways that monkeypox can be spread. In the past, monkeypox outbreaks have been linked to direct exposure to infected animals and animal products, with limited person-to-person spread. In the current monkeypox outbreak, the virus is spreading primarily through close personal contact. This may include contact with infectious lesions or respiratory secretions via close, sustained skin-to-skin contact that occurs during sex. However, any close, sustained skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox can spread the virus. The contact does not have to be exclusively intimate or sexual.

• See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms. Please call your healthcare provider to notify them that you suspect you have monkeypox before entering the facility.
• Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is present in the United States
• Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until you see a healthcare provider.
• If you're waiting for test results, follow the same precautions.

There are no treatments specifically for monkeypox virus infections. However, because of genetic similarities in the viruses, antiviral drugs used to treat smallpox may be used to treat monkeypox infections.

It is possible, but highly unlikely. Monkeypox can spread from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It's always good practice to wipe down gym equipment before and after use. Avoid going to the gym if you have any rash or symptoms of monkeypox.

Take the following steps to prevent getting monkeypox:

1. Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox
   • Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox
   • Do not kiss, hug, cuddle, or have sex with someone with monkeypox
2. Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
   • Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox
   • Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
4. Monitor yourself for symptoms of monkeypox and contact your healthcare provider and isolate yourself if you develop symptoms of monkeypox.

People who think they have had close personal contact with someone who has monkeypox should visit a healthcare provider to help them decide if they need to be tested for monkeypox. If they decide that you should be tested, they will work with you to collect the specimens and send them to a laboratory for testing. If they determine that you need a monkeypox vaccination, you should contact the Department of Public Health for assistance which scheduling a vaccine.

Yes. If you manifest the symptoms listed on the DPH website, testing is available at UWG Health Services. Call 678-839-6452 for an appointment.

Because monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, vaccines developed to protect against smallpox viruses may be used to prevent monkeypox infections. The U.S. government has two stockpiled vaccines - JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 - that can prevent monkeypox in people who are exposed to the virus.

No, the UWG Health Center does not offer the monkeypox vaccine. If you would like to receive a monkeypox vaccine, visit this Department of Health website to schedule an appointment. You may also call the vaccine scheduling resource line at 888-457-0186.

People can get monkeypox if they have close, skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox. Early indications are that events with activities in which people engage in close, sustained skin-to-skin contact have resulted in cases of monkeypox. If you plan to attend an event, consider how much close, personal, skin-to-skin contact is likely to occur there.

Infections with the type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak - West African type - are rarely fatal. Over 99% of people who get this form of the disease are likely to survive. However, people with weakened immune systems, children under 8 years of age,  people with a history of eczema, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may be more likely to get seriously ill or die. The Congo Basin type of monkeypox virus (not the type currently identified in this outbreak) has a fatality rate around 10%.