An infected person can contract the viral illness monkeypox by coming into close, direct contact with them. If you are aware of this condition, you can take the appropriate measures and be prepared to act if you believe you have been exposed to the virus.

What is monkeypox?

The monkeypox virus is the infection that causes monkeypox. Since its discovery in the first human in 1970, monkeypox has mostly been reported in regions of central and west Africa that are close to tropical rainforests.

The monkeypox virus can spread from person to person by direct contact with the bodily fluids, lesions, or respiratory droplets of an infected individual, in addition to transfer from animals to humans. Direct contact with contaminated objects, such as towels, clothing, bedding, or domestic surfaces, can also spread the disease.

Although the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, it is less contagious and results in milder disease. Symptoms of monkeypox often last 2 to 4 weeks before going away on their own. Rash, fever, tiredness, and enlarged lymph nodes are examples of symptoms. While these symptoms occasionally can result in medical consequences, severe cases and fatalities are incredibly uncommon.

What signs are there of monkeypox?

The time from exposure to the beginning of symptoms, or the incubation period, for monkeypox, ranges from 5 to 14 days on average but can reach 21 days in some cases. Your initial signs could be:

• Fevers
• Headache
• Backache and muscle pains 
• Chills
• Extreme Tiredness
• Enlarged lymph nodes

Within one to three days of the development of your first symptom, a rash commonly affects the face, hands, feet, mouth, and genitalia. Lesions develop, rise, fill with fluid, scab over, and eventually fall off during the course of the skin rash’s five phases. Public health professionals advise isolation until the entire rash has disappeared and a new skin layer has grown, often within 2 to 4 weeks.

How is monkeypox identified?

A doctor or nurse will inquire about every aspect of your sexual and medical history in order to diagnose monkeypox, determine exposure, and rule out any other potential medical conditions. Your provider will check your rash and any lesions to see if monkeypox is a possibility. If a lesion or rash is detected, your provider will swab it and do a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Your provider will next offer recommendations for your course of care and advise you on precautions you may take to reduce the risk of spreading monkeypox to others.

What therapies are available?

The majority of monkeypox patients can heal at home without professional care. However, the following therapies are accessible:

TPOXX, an antiviral drug (tecovirimat)

TPOXX (tecovirimat), an antiviral medication, may be used to treat severe or difficult cases of monkeypox. Consult your doctor about if TPOXX is an option for you if you are pregnant, immunocompromised, have a history of persistent skin issues, or your monkeypox outbreak is excruciatingly painful. Currently, through an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug process, healthcare professionals can ask the CDC for this drug on behalf of eligible patients.

Vaccine

There is also a monkeypox vaccination, although supplies are scarce. Talk to your doctor about making an appointment for a monkeypox vaccination at one of the nine sites across the state if you have had contact with someone who has tested positive for the disease.

Monkeypox Vaccination Centers in New Jersey:

AtlantiCare FQHC

Address: 1401 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401

County: Atlantic

Additional Details: By appointment only – call for an appointment.

Phone Number: 609-441-2104

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center

Address: Annex 2 (white tent structure), 230 East Ridgewood Ave., Paramus, NJ 07652

Phone Number: (800) 730-2762

County: Bergen

Cooper Vaccine Clinic, Cooper University Hospital

Address: 300 Broadway, Camden, NJ 08103

Phone Number: (856) 968-7100

County: Camden

Eric B. Chandler Health Center

Address: 277 George St

Phone Number: (732) 235-6733

County: Middlesex

Hyacinth AIDS Foundation/Project Living Out Loud!

Address: Jersey City, NJ 07304

Phone Number: (201) 706-3480

County: Hudson

North Hudson Community Action Corporation

Address: HCCC 4800 Kennedy Blvd

County: Hudson

North Hudson Community Action Corporation

Address: 70 Sip St

County: Hudson

North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI)

Address: Newark, NJ 07103

Phone Number: (978) 483-3444 ext. 200

County: Essex

Passaic County Health Department

Address: 930 Riverview Suite 250

Phone Number: (973) 811-4396

County: Passaic

The Prevention Resource Network, a program of the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey

Address: Asbury Park, NJ 07712

County: Monmouth

Zufall Health Center

Address: 18 W Blackwell St

Phone Number: (973) 891-3419

County: Morris

This page will be updated when new vaccination sites become available.