Mpox: How it spreads, prevention and risks
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How mpox spreads
Current evidence suggests that mpox spreads in 3 ways:
- From person-to-person
- From animals to humans
- Through direct contact with contaminated objects
Health authorities across Canada and internationally are monitoring this situation as it evolves. We're still collecting information about how the virus spreads at this time, including looking into:
- atypical infection presentations
- different modes of transmission
- the possibility of transmission without symptoms
Person-to-person
You can be exposed to mpox in different situations, such as during:
- sexual contact
- including oral or non-penetrative contact
- close contact, including when:
- providing care at home
- living in the same household
Mpox can spread from person-to-person through contact with lesions or scabs of a person with mpox. These lesions or scabs may be found on the skin or mucosal surfaces, such as:
- genitals
- anus and rectum
- mouth and throat
- eyes
It can also spread through contact with bodily fluids of a person with mpox, such as:
- semen
- saliva
- blood
The virus may spread through respiratory particles, such as from:
- coughing or sneezing
- talking or breathing
However, based on the current evidence, the role respiratory particles play in transmission is unknown, but likely limited.
Emerging evidence suggests that some people with mpox may be contagious up to 4 days before their symptoms begin. This is known as pre-symptomatic transmission. At this time, it's not yet known:
- how often transmission happens before symptoms begin
- if transmission before symptoms begin is more likely to occur with a specific transmission route (for example, sexual contact or contaminated items)
If you're pregnant, there's a chance you could pass on the virus to your fetus through the placenta.
Learn more about:
Contaminated objects
You can also get mpox by coming into direct contact with personal items a person with mpox has used, including:
- towels
- clothing
- bedding
- other shared objects, for example:
- razors
- utensils
- needles
- sex toys
- toothbrushes
Learn more about:
- Mpox: Recommendations on hand and environmental hygiene
- Mpox: Steps for removing contaminated clothing (infographic)
Animal to human
Animals don't currently play a role in the spread of mpox in Canada.
However, transmission to people from animals, particularly wild rodents, has been reported in West and Central Africa.
There was also an mpox outbreak in the US in 2003 after infected small mammals from Africa were imported there for the pet trade. They infected pet prairie dogs that they were housed with, which led to an outbreak of 47 human cases.
Activities that may have spread the virus from infected animals to people in these situations include:
- eating undercooked game meat
- hunting and processing animals for consumption
- exposure to body fluids, such as when cleaning up animal enclosures or areas where animals were processed
- touching or handling live or dead animals, especially if there were bites or scratches while handling
Learn more about:
Risk of getting mpox
Anyone can get and spread mpox if they come into close contact with someone who has the virus, regardless of:
- sex
- race
- gender
- sexual orientation
Since May 2022, there have been cases in several countries where the disease is not normally found, including Canada.
Person-to-person transmission is currently happening in Canada. Most cases in Canada so far are in people who self-identify as gbMSM (gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men), especially those with multiple sexual partners. This is in line with international trends in countries where mpox didn’t occur before the ongoing global outbreak. However, it's important to stress that the risk of exposure to the monkeypox virus is not exclusive to any group or setting.
Having multiple sexual partners may increase your overall risk of infection.
Provincial, territorial and local health authorities continue to monitor for and investigate cases of mpox in Canada as the situation evolves. We update this information as it becomes available.
Preventing the spread of mpox
You can help lower your risk of getting mpox by avoiding:
- close physical contact with someone who has mpox, including sexual contact
- sexual contact with someone who may have had a high-risk exposure to mpox
- For example, a sexual partner or household member of someone with mpox.
- contact with personal items or objects used by someone with mpox
You can also lower your risk by:
- getting vaccinated against mpox, if eligible
- having fewer sexual partners
- using barrier protection during sexual activity, including:
- condoms
- dental dams
- gloves
- clothing
- practising regular hand hygiene
- cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects in your home, especially after having visitors
Learn how to reduce the risk of spread if you have mpox, are a caregiver to someone with mpox, or have been exposed.
Learn more about:
- Vaccines for mpox
- Symptoms of mpox
- Getting tested for mpox
- Surface disinfectants for emerging viral pathogens
Community settings
If you operate a non-health care community setting that the public can access, you should:
- assess the risks associated with mpox spreading
- put appropriate measures in place to reduce the risk of mpox spreading in your setting
Learn more about:
How operators can reduce the risk of spread of mpox in community settings
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