How mpox is spread
Mpox is primarily spread through very close contact with someone who is experiencing symptoms. Most transmission of mpox happens through skin-to-skin contact with the rash of someone who has mpox, including through intimate physical contact and sex. It can also be transmitted through kissing, hugging, massaging, and cuddling. Less commonly, it can spread through touching materials used by a person with mpox, including soiled clothing, towels, and bedding. It is possible to spread through prolonged face-to-face contact through respiratory droplets, but is not spread through casual conversations or walking by someone with mpox (for example, in the grocery store). Scientists are still learning if it can be spread when people have no symptoms, but we know that people are most contagious when they have a rash.
What you need to know about mpox
Mpox Considerations for Children and Adolescents
What to do if you are exposed
Mpox doesn’t spread easily. To get it, you need skin-to-skin contact with someone who is sick with mpox. You can also get mpox from handling clothing, bedding, or other materials that have touched a sick person’s rash. Less often, infection can happen during close, face-to-face contact for a long time (more than 3 hours).