Mpox is a disease caused by infection with mpox virus. Mpox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox but is not the same as smallpox.

The virus can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.

Mpox does not spread easily to people without close contact. People who think they may have been exposed to mpox or who have symptoms of mpox should consult with a healthcare provider.

NJDOH is working in conjunction with CDC and local health departments to quickly identify mpox cases and close contacts, provide treatment and vaccine, and further prevent the spread of disease. CDC is working with state and local health officials to monitor probable and confirmed cases within the country.

People with mpox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals or anus and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.

The rash goes through phases, including scabs, before healing. The rash starts out looking like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

Symptoms of mpox can include:

• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside of the mouth, and on other parts of the body such as hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus
• Fever
• Headache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Exhaustion
• Muscle aches and backache
• Chills

How long do symptoms last?

Symptoms usually begin within 3 weeks after exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will likely get a rash 1 to 4 days later. The illness typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks.

A person with mpox can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. Some people can spread mpox to others from 1 to 4 days before their symptoms appear. 

If you have symptoms of mpox, contact your health care provider to be evaluated for possible testing.  Be sure to wear a mask and cover any lesions as much as possible.

Although commercial testing is available, specimens must be collected by a health care provider and sent to the lab. LabCorp, Quest and other labs that are doing testing will not take self-referred walk-ins for mpox testing.

Testing involves collecting swabs of the rash, which will be sent out to a lab. Individuals should isolate at home while test results are pending.

Currently, there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox. Most people with mpox recover with supportive care and pain management  . However, some individuals, especially those who are immunocompromised or have certain underlying skin conditions like eczema, may benefit from medications that are available only to health care providers through health departments or the CDC.

TPOXX (Tecovirimat)

TPOXX is an experimental (investigational) antiviral drug. Recent results of a clinical trial (STOMP trial) found that tecovirimat was safe but did not reduce the time to resolution of lesions nor have an effect on pain among adults with mild to moderate clade II mpox and a low risk of developing severe disease. More studies are needed to determine the role of tecovirimat in the treatment of mpox for patients with severe immunocompromise. 

At this time, tecovirimat   is only available through the EA-IND protocol via health care providers.

Health Care Provider Information

• Providers can find detailed guidance on mpox treatment and TPOXX eligibility by visiting CDC's clinical treatment of mpox website  .
• Health care providers may request tecovirimat from NJDOH for patients that meet criteria under CDC’s EA-IND protocol through the following link: http://healthsurveys.nj.gov/NoviSurvey/n/TPOXX.aspx
• Health care providers that have any issues submitting a request should email vax.operations@doh.nj.gov.

Mpox FAQs Document (PDF)