Mpox (formerly Monkeypox)

• Mpox is a disease caused by a virus.
• In Africa, the virus circulates widely among animals (particularly rodents), it usually spreads from animals to humans.
•  Mpox can be transmitted between people through contact with bodily fluids, sores, upper respiratory secretions (snot and phlegm), and contaminated objects.  

• Clade I and Ib: This variant has shown rapid spread in West and Central Africa. It is more contagious, with severe cases reported.
• Clade II and IIb: This variant has a slower spread and causes mild sickness. Cases reported in Canada. 

Symptoms of mpox typically include:

• swollen lymph nodes
• skin rash or lesions ( anywhere on the body) The rash can look like chickenpox and can be painful.
• fever
• intense headache
• muscle or joint aches
• back pain
• low energy (fatigue)

In cases of mpox (clade II) in Canada, the most reported symptom is skin lesions or rash (especially around mouth, genitals areas, and around the anus), with fever before or after the lesions appear. People can have very few or many lesions, depending on the case. 

Mpox spreads through direct contact with body fluids or sores on the body of someone who has mpox, or with direct contact with materials that have touched body fluids or sores, like clothing or sheets.

It may also spread through respiratory droplets when people have prolonged close, face-to-face contact.

• After exposure, symptoms can appear in as little as 5 days, but can take up to 21 days.

• People with mpox are contagious while they have symptoms (and likely, one day before symptoms appear) and until their rash lesions dry out. This may take 2-4 weeks.

   

• Pregnant people with mpox can pass the virus to the fetus during pregnancy or to the newborn during and after birth.

Vaccination can help to prevent the disease. A mpox vaccine is available in urban centres (like Montreal) and in Eeyou Istchee for eligible people.

Check yourself. If you notice any mpox symptoms and you have attended social situations or events where sexual activities were taking place (like bathhouses or saunas), talk to a healthcare professional.

• Use condoms.
• Practice safer sex by limiting the number of sexual partners, especially those who you do not know, even if they have no symptoms.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Do not share items like toothbrushes, utensils, sex toys or drug materials.
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces (such as door handles and phones).
• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when taking care of a person who has mpox (a medical mask and disposable gloves for direct contact with sores).

Anyone can be exposed to and contract the mpox virus, it is not specific to any group or environment

The mpox vaccine can be given only to people without symptoms and at increased risk of contracting the mpox disease. This is why certain people are being prioritized.

The vaccine may be offered before a person has been exposed (“pre-exposure”), or after they have been exposed (“post-exposure”).

AS OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2024:

You are eligible for pre-exposure vaccination if:

• You are a man (including trans) 18 and older who has, or plans to have, sex with other men (other than with your exclusive partner).

OR

• You are a man or woman 18 and older who has, or plans to have, sexual encounters with multiple partners and/or anonymous partners, or in exchange of sex for money/drugs/food/shelter.

You are eligible for post-exposure vaccination if:

If you are 18 and older, and in the past 14 days, you had:

• Direct contact with skin or lesions of a suspected or confirmed case

OR

• Direct contact directly with body fluids (like mucus, saliva, pus from lesions, etc.) of somebody with a suspected or confirmed case

OR

• Direct contact with surfaces or objects contaminated with the body fluids of a suspected or confirmed case (towels, bedding, clothing etc.)

OR

• Physical contact within 1 metre for at least 3 hours (combined over a 24-hour period), face-to-face with a suspected or confirmed case without wearing a medical mask.

Ideally, the vaccine is given within 4 days of the exposure. It may be given up to 14 days.

Symptoms typically last between 2 to 4 weeks and go away on their own without treatment. Some cases can lead to medical complications that can become severe. Ask your healthcare provider for more information.

People who are higher risk of complications include children under 5, pregnant women, and people who are immunosuppressed (including people who have received organ transplants).  

Mainly supportive care, including rash and wound care.  People with severe disease and those at risk of severe disease can also be prescribed specific antiviral therapy.

If you think you have symptoms that could be mpox, or you were exposed to a person who has tested positive, call your CMC and consult a health care provider.

Let them know if you have had close contact with someone who has suspected or confirmed mpox. 

If you’re waiting for mpox test results, it’s important you self-isolate at home until you’re informed that your test came back negative. 

If you test positive for mpox: 

• you should self-isolate at home (ideally in a separate room) until all skin lesions are fully healed (the scabs have fallen off) and a layer of healthy skin is present. This can take 2 - 4 weeks.
• Cover skin lesions with clothing or bandages.
• Avoid sexual contact.
• Avoid all activities (e.g., family, social, work, leisure) that could result in direct contact of an uncovered or uncoverable lesion with another person’s skin or mucous membranes.
• Avoid any object or surface that other people could also touch. 
• Avoid, as possible, sharing common areas with children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems who live in your same household. This includes at home or other spaces such as public areas, shelters, and other temporary housing. 
• Wear a medical-grade mask, indoors and outdoors, if physical distancing of 1 metre isn’t possible. 
• Avoid contact with animals if possible. Infected people should protect their pets as they do the people around them as a precaution.
• Don’t share personal items such as clothing, bedding, utensils, etc.
• Take precautions when handling bandages or soiled linens to avoid direct contact with contaminated material. 
• Don’t shake or handle soiled linens in a way that could disperse infectious particles into the air.
• When providing care to an infected person, you should wash your hands with soap and water before and after care. Wear gloves before touching soiled objects and surfaces, then dispose of used gloves in a bag or closed trash can and perform hand hygiene again.
• Practice regular hand hygiene, avoid touching your eyes and use contact lenses to reduce the risk of ocular mpox.
• Wash soiled laundry in a washing machine with hot water and detergent.