Mpox

How Mpox Spreads

Mpox can spread in different ways. It can spread from person to person when someone who has mpox has close contact with someone else. Close contact can mean physical contact with a sick person’s sores, bumps, or lesions or through prolonged, face-to-face interactions with someone who is sick. Close contact includes sexual contact, but mpox is not a sexually transmitted infection or disease (STI/STD). Mpox can also spread through touching items like sex toys or the bed linens or clothing of someone who is sick. Recent cases in the United States have been infected through person-to-person contact.

A vaccine called JYNNEOS is available for certain people.

Symptoms

For some people, mpox can feel like the flu at first. Symptoms usually start between 5-13 days after the infection. Early symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. Most people get a rash or skin bumps one to three days after they first start feeling sick.

This rash usually starts on the face and then spreads to the arms and legs. It is often found on the palms and soles of the feet and can mimic a syphilis rash. Sometimes, the rash may start in the genital area. Some people don’t feel any symptoms before they get a rash. Mpox can look like syphilis, herpes, blisters, or even acne. It can start out as a few small spots after which more appear. The bumps generally swell with fluid or pus, burst, then dry to form scabs. Mpox rashes can be painful or itchy.

Most people recover from mpox within two to four weeks. The mpox rash can look like pimples or blisters; it can start out as a few small spots after which more appear. The bumps generally swell with fluid or pus, burst, then dry to form scabs. Mpox rashes can be painful or itchy.

Mpox can make you very sick, but most people recover fully. In most cases, mpox will resolve on its own without specific treatment after two to four weeks.

Anyone Can Get Mpox

People who have recently traveled to areas with mpox cases and men who have sex with men are at higher risk for contracting mpox based on recent data. People who are sex workers or those who have had sex in exchange for money, goods, or services are also at a higher risk. However, anyone can get mpoxif they have close contact with someone who is infected. The virus does not discriminate against any group. Thinking that mpox only affects certain groups hinders our ability to control this virus.

Seeking Care

Anyone with symptoms of mpox should contact a health care provider as soon as possible. Avoid close contact with others. Wear a mask, cover any skin lesions or sores, and notify the provider before you arrive to seek care. Your provider may prescribe you antiviral treatment to help you recover.

If you suspect you were exposed, you should monitor yourself for symptoms for 21 days. If you notice any symptoms, contact a health care provider as soon as you can to ask about vaccination. Mpox vaccines can help keep you from getting sick if you get vaccinated within four days of exposure. If you get the vaccine between four and 14 days after exposure, it can help prevent severe illness.

Some providers offer testing for people who have symptoms of mpox . Visit CDPHE’s mpox webpage for more information about getting tested for mpox . Mpox testing is recommended for people who have a new rash, lesions, or sores with pus and could have had close contact with someone who was infected.

Treatment (CDC)

Testing

We recommend mpox testing for people who have a new rash, lesions, or sores with pus and could have had close contact with someone who was infected. The test for mpox involves swabbing a skin lesion. Providers send the swab into a lab for testing to detect viruses in the orthopoxvirus genus.

Testing Results

Typically, you should receive your test result within 48 hours. You will receive your result from the same health care provider that performed your test. In the event that the provider cannot reach you, or if additional information is needed, BCPH may also reach out to you.

Testing Locations

Visit the CDPHE main mpox webpage for an up-to-date list of providers that are able to collect samples for mpox testing. You can also reach out to your regular health care provider to see if they are able to collect samples for mpox testing.

Preventing the Spread of Mpox

If you test positive, stay home, avoid contact with others, and cover any skin lesions or sores. Your provider or BCPH will give you instructions on how to isolate away from other people until your lesions have completely healed and new skin has grown over all lesions. Most people recover from mpox within two to four weeks. Antiviral medication is available for people who might develop severe illness from mpox. Talk to a health care provider if you have an underlying medical condition that you think might put you at increased risk for severe illness.

It is likely that BCPH will reach out to you to review isolation guidelines, provide more information about your illness, and determine if you had any close contacts who might be eligible for vaccination.

If you test negative, contact a health care provider to discuss other possible causes of your symptoms.

Mpox Vaccine

Appointments

Boulder County Public Health

Schedule an Appointment

For reasonable accommodations related to scheduling your appointment call the BCPH Resource Navigation Call Center at 720-776-0822.

Vaccine Requirements

The mpox vaccine can be used to prevent or lessen symptoms of illness in people who were exposed to a case and receive the vaccine within 14 days of exposure.

Vaccination strategies will initially focus on providing vaccines to people who are most likely to have recently been exposed to mpox to prevent them from getting sick.

People who believe they have been exposed to mpox and have symptoms should visit a health care provider to find out if they need to be tested. People with an exposure need to monitor for symptoms for 21 days after their last exposure.

If you are aged 18 years or older and meet vaccine eligibility criteria, you may be recommended to receive a fully FDA-approved vaccine called JYNNEOS. JYNNEOS is also available to people younger than 18 years through Investigational New Drug (IND) applications to the FDA.

Eligibility

The current eligibility criteria for vaccination determined by the CDC are:

• Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) who has had close physical contact with someone who has mpox in the last 14 days.
• Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) who:
  • Has multiple or anonymous sexual partners, or
  • Has close physical contact with other people in a venue where anonymous or group sex may occur, or
  • Was diagnosed with gonorrhea or syphilis in the past six months, or
  • Is living with HIV, or
  • Already uses or is eligible for HIV PrEP (medication to prevent HIV, e.g. Truvada or Descovy or Apretude), or
  • Engages in commercial and/or transactional sex (e.g. sex in exchange for money, shelter, food, and other goods or needs).
• Anyone (any sexual orientation or gender identity) identified by public health as a known high-risk contact of someone who has mpox.

About JYNNEOS

JYNNEOS contains small amounts of a live, non-replicating virus called the Vaccinia virus. This virus is in the same family as mpox and smallpox. The vaccine teaches your body how to fight off the Vaccinia virus. Because this virus is very similar to mpox, your body will also be better able to fight off mpox after you have been vaccinated.

Dosage

Right now, one dose is provided for early protection from mpox. JYNNEOS is typically given in a two-dose series. Data from clinical trials show that receiving only the first dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine offers early protection from mpox. At this time, Colorado is focusing on providing first doses to as many high-risk individuals as possible. CDPHE will communicate with Coloradans who got their first doses about when second doses are available and how to get them.

Timing

The sooner an exposed person gets the vaccine, the better. The vaccine can help keep you from getting sick at all if you receive it within four days of exposure to the mpox virus. If you get the vaccine between four and 14 days after exposure, it can help prevent severe illness but may not completely prevent infection.

Pre/Post Exposure

Right now, only some people are recommended to get the vaccine as a preventive measure before being exposed to the mpox virus. This includes some people who are likely to be exposed to the mpox virus at their jobs, such as certain laboratory workers and healthcare workers. At this time, most healthcare workers and laboratory workers are not recommended to receive the vaccine.

Side Effects

The most common side effects are pain, redness, swelling, hardness, and itching at the injection site. Side effects can also include soreness, headache, fatigue, nausea, and chills. Side effects tend to go away after a short period of time.

Vaccination Strategy

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is using an mpox vaccination strategy that prioritizes administering first doses of JYNNEOS to as many high-risk individuals as possible, as opposed to reserving vaccines for second doses. Typically, JYNNEOS is given as a two-dose series, with the doses administered four weeks apart.

The supply of JYNNEOS vaccine from the federal government is extremely limited. This strategy will allow the state to open additional vaccination appointments for Coloradans at high risk at clinics being planned through the end of August. Prioritizing first doses will help provide the broadest protection possible against the spread of mpox.

Second Doses

Second doses of JYNNEOS will be administered as soon as the federal supply of vaccine allows. BCPH will work with CDPHE to communicate with people who received first doses about when second doses are available and how to receive them.

Colorado Mpox Data Dashboard