Monkeypox virus is spread via contact with bodily fluids from an infected person, so healthcare workers and family members taking care of suspected cases are at risk of infection.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms including fever, aches, and exhaustion, as well as a red
rash that turns into pus-filled boils. As the boils burst and crust over, the infection can spread through direct contact with the lesions, or by changing contaminated clothing or bedsheets.
Sharing air with an infected person may pose a risk
Human-to-human monkeypox transmission may also occur through prolonged face-to-face contact, according to the
CDC.
The virus can spread via large, exhaled droplets — like the spray of a cough or sneeze. The droplets that may carry monkeypox are much bigger than, for example,
coronavirus particles, which are tiny, airborne, and can float around in the air. Monkeypox particles can't travel as far.