Should I be worried about mpox?
Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox)has recently been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
You might remember there was an mpox outbreak 2 years ago. WHO declared a public health emergency in July 2022. Contact-tracing programmes and vaccinations were rolled out and the emergency status was lifted in May 2023 after about 90,000 infections.
Well, it's back in the news again. And WHO is warning that the virus is spreading rapidly across the African continent, and could return to other continents.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have said there are no cases of the virus in the UK. And currently the risk to the UK population is low. However, planning is underway to make sure we're ready for any cases that do occur.
What is mpox?
And why has it been declared a global health emergency?
The announcement from WHO is meant to kickstart action. Declaring mpox a global health emergency speed up access to testing, vaccines and medications. And it will start to reduce stigma surrounding the virus.
As we've seen in the UK, there are successful vaccines that protect against mpox. But access to these is an issue. Africa CDC says it needs up to 10 million doses, to treat everyone who needs the vaccine. But only 200,000 are available.
Mpox is a rare infectious disease. It causes a rash and can be spread through close personal contact including sexual contact, however it's not an STI.
The symptoms are flu-like, and include fever, chills and muscle aches. This is typically followed by a rash that starts as raised spots before turning into fluid-filled blisters.
If you have any of these signs, contact your GP or local sexual health clinic. Make sure to contact your surgery or clinic before you visit.
How is mpox spread?
Mpox can be passed on through close contact with a person who has the infection. This means:
touching them, in particular, touching their scabs or rash
touching their clothes, bedding or towels
being near their coughs and sneezes
In parts of west and central Africa, mpox can also be caught from infected rodents if
you're bitten
you touch their fur, skin, blood, body fluids, spots, blisters or scabs
you eat their meat and it has not been cooked thoroughly
You can reduce the chance of you catching or passing on mpox by:
getting the vaccination if you’re eligible
talking to sexual partners about their sexual health and any symptoms
taking a break from sex and sexual contact if you have symptoms
washing your hands regularly with soap and water or using hand sanitiser
Mpox vaccination
Mpox is caused by a virus similar to the smallpox virus. The smallpox vaccine gives a good level of protection from mpox. Currently the NHS is offering smallpox vaccination to people who are most likely to be exposed to mpox.
This means that they're offering the vaccination to:
men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men, and who have multiple partners, participate in group sex or attend sex-on-premises venues
staff who work at sex-on-premises venues
This vaccination is currently available on the NHS in London and Greater Manchester. You do not need to be registered with a GP to get vaccinated at an mpox vaccination site.
