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Monkeypox

Monkeypox, also known as MPV, is a potentially serious viral illness. It can be transmitted through direct contact, often skin to skin, with an infected person’s body fluids or monkeypox lesions.

Clinical symptoms due to MPV generally start one to two weeks after exposure. People with MPV may first develop a flu-like illness with fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes. A characteristic rash, which can appear like blisters, sores, or pimples, occurs a few days later. MPV is rarely fatal and most cases resolve on their own after two to four weeks.

The current level of monkeypox in the U.S. is higher than normal, but the risk to the general population is low. Most people affected in the current outbreak have generally reported having close physical contact for a sustained time with someone who has monkeypox.

The Genesee County Health Department asks that if you have been exposed to MPV (are a close contact) in the last 14 days, please call the GCHD at (810) 237-4538.

There are several preventative measures each of us can take to protect yourself and others from MPV:

  • If you are exposed to someone with MPV or have a rash that you think might be MPV, contact your health care provider as soon as possible. 
  • If you have a rash, stay away from others, cover all the lesions and wear a mask until you can see your health care provider.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
  • Avoid direct, skin-to-skin contact with people who have MPV lesions or rashes that look like they may be MPV.
  • Talk to the people with whom you have come in direct contact, including intimate and sexual contact, about their general health, like recent rashes or sores.
  • Avoid contact with any objects, fabrics, or materials, such as bedding, clothing, and towels that have been in contact with an infected person.

To learn more about MPV, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Genesee County Health Department, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and UHS MPV webpages.