Have you recently returned from central or east Africa?

  • If you think you have Mpox please do not come into hospital or attend any community clinics.
  • If you have a planned home visit please contact the clinical team.

For urgent advice, call NHS 111 if:

  • you have a rash with blisters or sores (ulcers) and you’ve been to central or east Africa in the past 3 weeks
  • you have a rash with blisters or sores (ulcers) and you’ve been in close contact (including sexual contact) with someone who has symptoms of mpox and they’ve been to central or east Africa in the past 3 weeks
  • you have any other symptoms of mpox and you’ve been to central or east Africa in the past 3 weeks and had close contact with someone who had symptoms of mpox
  • tell the person you speak to about your recent travel history
  • stay at home and avoid close contact with other people, including sharing towels or bedding, until you’ve been told what to do

For non-urgent advice, call a sexual health clinic if:

You have a rash with blisters or sores (ulcers) and have either:

  • had 1 or more new sexual partners in the past 3 weeks
  • had sex or sexual contact with someone who has symptoms of mpox but has not been to west, central or east Africa in the past 3 weeks
  • Stay at home and avoid close contact with other people, including sharing towels or bedding, until you’ve been told what to do
  • Call the clinic before visiting. Tell the person you speak to if you’ve had close contact with someone who has or might have mpox

Find a sexual health clinic

If you’re unable to contact a sexual health clinic, stay at home and call 111 for advice.

Other rashes:

NHS 111 can tell you what to do if you have a rash but:

  • you have not been in close contact with someone who has or might have mpox
  • you have not been to west, central or east Africa recently

Get advice about your symptoms from 111 online

Symptoms of mpox

If you get infected with mpox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.

The first symptoms of mpox include:

  • a high temperature (fever)
  • a headache
  • muscle aches
  • backache
  • swollen glands
  • shivering (chills)
  • exhaustion
  • joint pain

A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. It can be on any part of the body, including the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, mouth, genitals and anus.

You may also have anal pain or bleeding from your bottom.

The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into sores (ulcers) or small blisters filled with fluid. The blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.

The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks. While you have symptoms, you can pass mpox on to other people.

As of 22 August 2024, the countries in central and east Africa where Clade I mpox cases have been reported are:

  • DRC
  • Republic of the Congo
  • Central African Republic
  • Burundi
  • Rwanda
  • Uganda
  • Kenya
  • Cameroon
  • Gabon

The countries where there may be a risk of Clade I mpox exposure currently include:

  • Angola
  • South Sudan
  • Tanzania
  • Zambia