How is monkey pox diagnosed?
OVERVIEW What is mpox? Mpox is a rare disease caused by the mpox virus. It leads to rash and flu-like symptoms. Like the better-known virus that causes smallpox, it’s a member of the family called orthopoxvirus. Mpox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in groups of monkeys being used for research. It’s spread mainly through human contact with infected rodents, but can sometimes be spread through skin-to-skin contact with a person who is infected. There are two known types (clades) of mpox virus — one that originated in Central Africa and one that originated in West Africa. The current world outbreak (2022) is caused by the less severe West African clade. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy How common is mpox? Mpox is rare. But the number of cases is increasing in Africa, as well as in regions that haven’t seen these infections before. Where else is mpox found? For decades, mpox was mostly been seen in Africa. However, it’s occasionally found in other countries, including the United States. In the spring of 2003, the first outbreak of mpox outside of Africa occurred in the U.S. A shipment of infected animals from Ghana was imported into Texas. The infected rodents spread the virus to pet prairie dogs, which then infected 47 people in the Midwest. As international travel becomes more common, viruses that were once fairly confined to certain locations can more easily spread around the world. In the summer of 2021, a case of mpox was found in a U.S. resident who had traveled from Nigeria to the United States. Then, 2022 brought outbreaks to regions outside of Africa, including Europe, the Americas and Australia. Who does mpox affect? Anyone can get mpox. In Africa, most cases are among children under 15 years old. Outside of Africa, the disease appears to be more common in men who have sex with men, but there are numerous cases in people who don’t fall into that category. SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES Mpox rash starts as flat red spots that become raised, fill with fluid and pus, then crust and fall off. Mpox rash can be painful, with spots that change over time before scabbing and falling off. What are the signs and symptoms of mpox? After exposure, it may be several days to a few weeks before you develop symptoms. Early signs of mpox include flu-like symptoms, including: Fever. Chills. Headache. Muscle aches. Fatigue. Swollen lymph nodes. After a few days, a rash often develops. The rash starts as flat, red bumps, which can be painful. Those bumps turn into blisters, which fill with pus. Eventually, the blisters crust over and fall off — the whole process can last two weeks to four weeks. You can also get sores in your mouth, vagina or anus. Not everyone with mpox develops all the symptoms. In fact, in the current (2022) outbreak, many cases aren’t following the usual pattern of symptoms. This atypical presentation includes only a few lesions, no swollen lymph nodes, less fever and other signs of illness. You can have it and not know it. Even if you don’t show many signs of infection, you can spread still spread it to others through prolonged close contact. How do you catch mpox? Mpox is spread when you come into contact with an animal or a person infected with the virus. Animal-to-person transmission occurs through broken skin, like from bites or scratches, or through direct contact with an infected animal’s blood, bodily fluids or pox lesions (sores). Mpox can spread from person to person, but it’s less common. Person-to-person spread (transmission) occurs when you come in contact with the sores, scabs, respiratory droplets or oral fluids of a person who is infected, usually through close, intimate situations like cuddling, kissing or sex. Research is ongoing, but researchers aren’t sure if the virus is transmitted through semen or vaginal fluids. You can also get mpox by coming into contact with recently contaminated materials like clothing, bedding and other linens used by a person who is infected or an infected animal. DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS How is mpox diagnosed? Because mpox is rare, a healthcare provider may first suspect other rash illnesses, such as measles or chickenpox. But swollen lymph nodes usually distinguish mpox from other poxes. To diagnose mpox, your healthcare provider takes a tissue sample from an open sore (lesion). Then, they send it to a lab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing (genetic fingerprinting). You may also need to give a blood sample to check for the mpox virus or antibodies your immune system makes in defense of it.
