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Mpox (monkeypox)

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Mpox (monkeypox) is a disease that causes fever and rash from the virus mpox, an “orthopoxvirus” similar to smallpox but less severe and rarely fatal. Mpox was a previously rare disease that is currently increasing in prevalence.

This page was last updated on January 26, 2023.

How Mpox Can Spread

  • You can contract mpox through direct skin-to-skin contact with infected mpox rashes, scabs, or body fluids or objects/fabrics that have been in contact with infected persons. Sexual contact is one kind of skin-to-skin contact with especially high-risk activities including oral, anal, and vaginal sex.
  • Other forms of skin-to-skin contact include hugging, massaging, kissing, prolonged face-to-face contact, or contact with respiratory secretions. Note that this virus is not airborne but can potentially be spread by contact with respiratory droplets when in prolonged close contact with someone infected.
  • Click here for more information on myths and misconceptions about spreading mpox.

Vaccination

Mpox vaccines are available for those meeting eligibility criteria, based on recent exposure or risk for exposure. Please review the eligibility criteria at the Baltimore City Health Department site. The vaccine is available free for those meeting eligibility criteria, with a convenient vaccination site near campus at Nomi Health which accepts patients by appointment or as walk-ins.

Student Health

If you have symptoms or are exposed to mpox, immediately call your health care provider or the Student Health Center at UMaryland Immediate Care (UMIC) (667-214-1899) for an appointment for evaluation. The UMIC clinical team is prepared to assist students and employees with this, including testing, if needed, using your personal insurance. Student Health can assist students in understanding their eligibility for mpox vaccine.

Employee Health

For questions regarding exposure, please contact Occupational Health at UMBOccupationalHealth@som.umaryland.edu. If you have symptoms or are exposed to mpox, immediately call your health care provider for an evaluation. You may also be evaluated at UMIC (667-214-1899) pending participating insurance coverage. Please call to schedule an appointment for evaluation. For any work-related exposures and symptom evaluation, please speak with your supervisor and call UMIC to schedule an evaluation.

Patient Care Settings

If you are working in a clinical setting and encounter a suspected mpox case, standard precautions should include a gown, gloves, eye protection, and a fit-tested N95 respirator.

Patients should be immediately isolated from public spaces into a single-person room. Travel and movement within the clinic should be limited to essential purposes. Patients should be instructed to cover lesions as best as possible and to use a surgical face mask.

Alert supervisors and those who are attending to possible mpox infections.

FAQs

  • Always practice safe sex. Avoid all close, skin-to-skin contact (e.g., sexual contact, kissing, and touching) with infected or exposed individuals or those with a fever or new skin lesions, including contact with objects and materials from such individuals.
  • Wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Isolate (if suspected infection) and avoid close contact (if high-risk exposure).

  • If you have any symptoms of mpox, call your health care provider. They will ask you questions and schedule an exam.
  • You also can call Student/Employee Health at UMaryland Immediate Care (UMIC) (667-214-1899) for an appointment for evaluation. The UMIC clinical team is prepared to assist students and employees with this, including testing, if needed, using your personal insurance.
  • If possible, isolate immediately and avoid sex or any close contact with other people until you have been seen by a health care provider, and follow their guidance.

  • If you have had a high- or intermediate-risk exposure to mpox (see here for what constitutes such exposures), you need to call your health care provider immediately to evaluate you and consider providing you post-exposure prophylaxis with one of the two approved vaccines (ACAM2000 or Jynneos). The vaccine should be given as soon as possible after your exposure. At present, access to the limited vaccine supply is via the Department of Health. Refer to the vaccination information above.
  • If the exposure occurred during patient care activities (see below), immediately tell your supervisor and call UMIC at 667-214-1899, or, if unavailable, email UMBOccupationalHealth@som.umaryland.edu.

  • Routine preventive vaccination of health care workers (besides certain lab personnel) is not recommended at this time, based on Maryland Department of Public Health policy. The exceptions to this would be health care workers with high- or intermediate-risk exposures to known mpox cases and laboratory staff working directly with mpox testing. These health care workers should contact University of Maryland Immediate Care (UMIC) at 667-214-1899 to arrange vaccination.

  • It is highly unlikely you would get mpox through normal interactions with a colleague at work or while interacting with another student during class. In fact, there are no known cases from these types of interactions.

  • Additional cleaning is not required.

Letters

UMB Public Health December Update

December 6, 2022

Dear UMB Community, We are into the holiday season, and it has been a while since my last communi...

UMB Guidance on Monkeypox (MPXV) Disease

August 11, 2022

Dear UMB Community, As the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s public health officer, I’d like yo...

Resources

Student Health Center UMaryland Immediate Care CDC Monkeypox Resources Baltimore City Health Department Monkeypox Page Maryland Health Department Human Monkeypox Page Monkeypox: The Myths, Misconceptions — and Facts — About How You Catch It (NPR)

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