How to protect yourself against monkeypox and what to do if you catch it – CNBC

A recent monkeypox outbreak has been spreading across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and the Middle East, with the majority of cases spreading through sex.

In 2019, the London-based think tank Chatham House convened a meeting to discuss the risks of monkeypox, including sexual transmission. The current outbreak appears to have taken off when the virus began to transmit among men who have sex with men.

The WHO said it was unlikely that mass vaccinations would be required to combat the outbreak, but urged people to practice good hygiene and safe sex to help control its spread.

In 2002, Anne Rimoin, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the University of California Los Angeles, said that people who study poxviruses knew that monkeypox could spread. Monkeypox can be transmitted via surfaces and materials, so avoid contact with sick animals and humans.

Emmanuel Andre, professor at medicine at Belgium’s Ku Leuven University, said the general public does not need to start avoiding public areas, taxis, shopping and hotels.

Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle ache, swelling and back pain. Rashes and lesions emerge one to five days later.

Monkeypox can be easily confused with other diseases, so medical confirmation is important. The illness is typically mild and people recover within 2 to 4 weeks.

Find out more information on the spread of this disease at the following news outlets: