Mpox: information sheet for clade I mpox category 2 contacts
Updated 31 October 2024
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You have been given this information sheet because you have been in contact with someone who has an illness called mpox. Because of this, there is a risk that you could develop mpox.
It can take up to 21 days to develop symptoms after you had contact with the person who has mpox. This means that for 21 days after the day you were last in contact with someone who has mpox, you should take action to protect your health and the health of others around you. During this time, you should:
- avoid close contact with other people, including skin-to-skin contact
- avoid travel out of the UK
- postpone any non-urgent medical or dental appointments
- phone your mpox point of contact straight away if you develop any of the symptoms of mpox described in this information sheet
Your mpox point of contact will be either your local health protection team or your work occupational health team. They will also contact you daily to ask if you have developed any symptoms.
Depending on your job, you may also be asked to not go to work.
If you are concerned about your symptoms or they are getting worse, then you should contact NHS 111 and tell them that you have received this letter and have been in contact with someone with mpox. If you become seriously unwell and require urgent medical attention, telephone 999 and tell them that you have been in contact with someone with mpox.
What you need to do now
Mpox is a disease that is caused by a virus called MPXV. There are 2 main types (called clades) of MPXV, clade I and clade II. You have received this information because you have been in contact with someone with clade I mpox. Clade I mpox may cause severe symptoms in some people, so it is very important to prevent the spread of clade I mpox.
Take the following actions to help prevent the spread of mpox to others and so that if you develop the infection, it can be identified quickly. This will protect the health and safety of you, your family and anyone else that you may have contact with.
Follow these actions for 21 days from your last contact with the person who has mpox.
Avoid close contact with others
Avoid any close contact with other people, including skin-to-skin contact.
Depending on your job, you may be asked to not go to work. This is to prevent the spread of mpox to people who are more at risk of becoming very unwell from mpox. This includes people who have a weakened immune system, pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years old.
Children may be told by the mpox point of contact to stay off school. This is to prevent the spread of mpox.
Postpone any non-essential medical or dental treatment in the 21 days after you had contact with the person with mpox. If you need essential treatment, then you should contact your mpox point of contact to discuss this.
Do not travel outside of the UK.
Check yourself for symptoms
It can take between 5 to 21 days from contact with someone who has mpox for symptoms to develop. The symptoms of mpox can be similar to other infections, such as chickenpox. Symptoms can include:
- fever (a high temperature)
- headache
- muscle aches
- backache
- swollen glands – these could be in your neck, groin or under your arms
- chills
- exhaustion
- joint pain
- rash
The rash is made up of lesions (spots, blisters or ulcers). It usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms and can be on any part of the body. This includes the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, mouth, genitals and anus. It starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid or pus. These blisters can turn into ulcers and eventually form scabs which later fall off.
Check yourself daily for any symptoms of mpox, using a mirror to check for lesions in areas which may be hard to see. It is important to check regularly for any lesions, as some people may develop a milder illness with only a small number of skin lesions (in some cases genital lesions only), and no other symptoms.
Check if you have a fever (a high temperature) using a thermometer, if you have one. Signs that you have a high temperature include your chest or back feeling hotter than usual, or other symptoms such as shivering (chills), sweating, or warm, red skin (this may be harder to see on black or brown skin).
What to do if you develop symptoms
If you develop any of the symptoms listed above in the 21 days since you last had contact with the person who had mpox, you should stay at home and stay away from other people (self-isolate) straight away. Report your symptoms as soon as possible to your mpox point of contact, even if you have already told them that day that you do not have any symptoms. It is important that you report any symptoms, however mild, and in particular any signs of a rash (even if it is only one or two spots). Your mpox point of contact will ask you some questions about your symptoms and tell you what you need to do next.
Mpox vaccine
Depending on when you had contact with someone with mpox, you may be offered a vaccine to prevent you from becoming very sick from mpox. The vaccine is not 100% effective and so you may still develop symptoms (though these are likely to be milder). You should still report any symptoms that you develop, however mild, to your mpox point of contact as you could still pass mpox on to others.
How mpox spreads
Mpox does not spread easily between people unless there is close contact. Spread between people may occur through:
- direct contact with rash, skin lesions (spots, blisters or ulcers) or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or other skin-to-skin contact)
- contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, snot or mucus
- contact with clothing or linens (such as bedding or towels) or other objects and surfaces used by someone with mpox
It is possible that clade I mpox may spread between people through close and prolonged face-to-face contact such as talking, breathing, coughing, or sneezing close to one another. However, there is currently limited evidence so this will be updated as new information is available.
When to get medical advice
After reporting your symptoms to your mpox point of contact, if they get worse or you are concerned about your symptoms, then you should contact NHS 111 and tell them that you have received this information sheet and have been in contact with someone with mpox.
If you become seriously unwell and require urgent medical attention, telephone 999 and tell them that you have received this information sheet and have been in contact with someone with mpox.