9 Mpox Myths to Stop Believing
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When news spread this summer that there have been new outbreaks of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), many of us had the same thought: Does this mean another pandemic is about to hit the U.S.? Well, experts say this is not likely, and in fact, the breakouts right now are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a few neighboring countries in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Only a very small handful of cases have been reported in the U.S. this year. Still, the outbreak in 2022 affected 95,000 people across the globe, so the world is keeping its eye on the disease, and in August, WHO declared it a global health emergency.
In Africa, a different variant of mpox is proving more deadly, with a mortality rate at around 5%, compared with the 2022 outbreak's less than 1% death rate, and is particularly risky to women and children under age 15. In response, WHO has released a preparedness and response plan, and the U.S. government has announces plans to increase testing and offer mpox vaccines to those who are eligible.
But as news of the global outbreaks spreads, so does misinformation about the disease (including a completely unfounded one connecting the disease — which has been around since the 1950s, to a certain vaccine that has only been around since 2020). That’s likely leaving you with lots of unanswered questions about the virus.
It’s crucial to understand how mpox is transmitted, the symptoms of the virus and how it can be treated and prevented, says Georges Benjamin, M.D., executive director of the American Public Health Association. To help you sort through fact vs. fiction, Good Housekeeping asked medical experts to clear up some of the most common mpox myths.
Myths and Facts About Mpox
Myth: Mpox is a new disease.
Fact: Mpox was first discovered in 1958, according to the CDC. Two outbreaks of the disease, which is caused by a virus in the same family as the one that causes smallpox, were discovered in monkeys that were being kept for research. The first human case occurred in 1970. Before the 2022 outbreak, most cases were reported in central and western African countries or among people who had traveled to countries where the disease was common.
Myth: The only mpox symptom is a rash.
Fact: A rash that often begins on the face and spreads over the body is the most common symptom that you hear about, and the disease certainly does cause skin lesions, but that’s not the whole story. What does mpox do to your body? According to the CDC, symptoms include:
Fever
Headaches
Muscle aches and backaches
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion
Low energy
Sore throat
A pimple- or blister-like rash on or around the genitals, anus, hands, feet, chest, face or mouth that may be itchy or painful. The rash will go through stages, including scabbing and eventually healing.
“Early symptoms are usually similar to the common cold,” says Paulette Grey Riveria, M.D., M.P.H., a family medicine physician with the virtual health platform PlushCare. “Once a rash develops, mpox can be spread most easily. A person with a mpox rash is most contagious by skin-to-skin contact from the time the rash appears until it crusts or scabs over completely.”
Symptoms usually start within three weeks of being exposed to the virus, and the illness can last two to four weeks, the CDC says. Some people remain symptom-free for the first week or two of infection, and according to the latest research, there is no indication that people can spread the virus if they don’t have symptoms. Once someone starts to experience a rash, they’re contagious.
If you have symptoms that could be mpox, even if they are mild, talk to your doctor immediately. According to the CDC, "the type of treatment for a person with mpox will depend on how sick the mpox is making you or whether you’re likely to get severely ill." You may require medicine that can only be obtained by a healthcare provider.
Myth: It’s easy to tell if you have mpox.
Fact: The mpox rash can look different from person to person. “It may initially look like a bug bite and itch like a bug bite,” Dr. Riveria says. But then the rash goes a different route: Bug bites tend to swell at first and then flatten as they heal. An mpox rash, however, starts with a flat appearance and becomes raised and filled with fluid — a transition that can take up to a week. It may be itchy and painful, too, but the lesions will eventually scab over and disappear.
“A unique feature of the rash is that the sores appear to have a small depression — a portion that appears to dip down in the center — similar to a tiny, depressed belly button,” explains Dr. Riveria. “The sores are also well-circumscribed, meaning that you can most likely trace a smooth circle around the edge; they do not coalesce and blend into each other like some other skin rashes.” The CDC’s website includes several photos of mpox rash.
If you’ve been exposed to mpox or start to get a rash, contact your doctor or local health department, Dr. Riveria says. Your doctor may take a vigorous swab from an open lesion (or, if there are no open sores, from your throat or anus) and send it to a lab for testing to confirm a mpox diagnosis, according to the WHO. In the meantime, sanitize household surfaces, avoid skin-to-skin contact with others and cover rashes with gloves, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
Myth: Mpox is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Fact: Mpox isn’t an STI, Dr. Riveria says. It is, however, spread via “close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact,” where someone has direct contact with a person who has a mpox rash, according to the CDC. That may involve sex, but also includes lots of other things. “The best descriptor of mpox is that it’s a virus that can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, including the contact that takes place during sex.”
That means if someone has the virus, they can spread it while touching someone else during oral, anal or vaginal sex, yes, but also by simply kissing, hugging or shaking hands. Scientists are still working to understand whether mpox can be spread via semen, vaginal fluids, feces or urine, but a pregnant person can spread the virus to their baby.
Myth: Mpox is an airborne virus.
Fact: Mpox is not airborne, Dr. Benjamin says. It’s transmitted through direct, personal contact with a person infected with the virus and who is infectious — such as kissing, shaking hands, having sex or drinking from the same cup.
And mpox is one virus that should inspire a lot of hand-washing and disinfecting of countertops. “One of the challenges with this disease is that the virus lives on surfaces pretty easily,” says Dr. Benjamin. The CDC suggests that the virus can possibly live on surfaces for a couple of weeks to a month. So, a person can potentially get mpox from touching objects, like a toilet seat, bed linens or clothing used by an infected person.
If you or someone in your household has mpox, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces is crucial to prevent the spread. Wash contaminated bedding or clothing in hot water with regular laundry detergent. Dr. Benjamin also recommends wearing gloves when cleaning or caring for someone with the virus (and not touching your face or body with your gloved hands.)
Myth: The mpox vaccine is widely available to anyone.
Fact: There is a vaccine that can prevent mpox, but the CDC recommends that only certain people who are at high risk should get it. The vaccine, JYNNEOS, is given in two doses at least 28 days apart. Factors that the CDC says puts you at higher risk include people who have had sex with multiple partners or sex workers or with someone who has had or is at risk for mpox, caretakers of people with mpox and certain health workers. If you have already had mpox, you do not need a vaccine. Boosters are not yet recommended. Vax locations can be found at the CDC's mpox vaccine finder.
Myth: Mpox cannot be treated.
Fact: While there’s no cure or targeted treatment for mpox, it can be treated with antiviral medications, including TPOXX, which is used to treat smallpox, Dr. Riveria says.
These antiviral medications aren’t readily available, though, Dr. Benjamin says. He suggests contacting your doctor or local health department to find out about the treatments available to you. You can also manage mpox symptoms at home with over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and oatmeal baths, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Myth: Mpox only affects certain communities.
Fact: Anyone can get mpox. Dr. Benjamin stresses, “people should not just assume that this is a disease in the LGBTQ+ community — everyone is at risk. The risk is if you have intimate contact with someone who’s infectious.”
Myth: Mpox is likely to cause major havoc, like Covid-19.
Fact: While this outbreak is different from the last one, there are several reasons to believe that it won't cause anywhere near the worldwide devastation of COVID: Mpox isn’t airborne, doesn’t attack the respiratory system and is rarely fatal. Still, it’s an infectious disease that continues to spread, so you should be aware of what mpox looks like, how it’s transmitted and how to avoid getting it. “An aware and prepared community will be best equipped to face what is rapidly developing: an increase in mpox cases nationally and worldwide,” says Dr. Riveria.
*With additional reporting by Marisa Cohen
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