Information letter for a high-risk contact of a person with monkeypox

Bijlage bij de LCI-richtlijn Mpox | versie 26 januari 2022 (zie Overzichtspagina informatiebrieven voor versiebeheer)

NB. Deze brief is voor de GGD'en ook beschikbaar als Word-format (zie onder Documenten). De GGD kan hierin de eigen contactgegevens toevoegen.

Information letter for a high-risk contact of a person with mpox

 
Dear Sir/Madam,

You have had skin-to-skin contact with a person with mpox, or you have been exposed to contaminated items without wearing protection. You may have been infected with mpox as a result of this. Therefore, you should keep to a number of rules in your daily life during the 21 days after the last moment of exposure. You can read more about this below. Although it may not always be easy, it is very important to comply with these rules. By doing so, you help to contain the spread of the virus.

Rules for daily life

The following rules apply to you up until 21 days after your last contact with a person with mpox:

• Abstain from intimate or intense skin-to-skin contact, including sex and kissing.
• Keep a distance of 1.5 metres to others where possible. Wear a face mask in situations where you cannot keep this distance.
• Do not travel outside the Netherlands.
• Do not use long-distance transportation (plane, train); use your own transportation instead. This will enable you to go into self-isolation as quickly as possible if you develop symptoms.
• Avoid contact with mammals (including pets).
• Cough or sneeze in the crook of your elbow.
• Wash your hands often.
• Do not donate any blood.
• Keep a close eye on your health. Take your temperature daily. This is important because a fever is one of the symptoms of mpox.

 
If you are a health professional, actively check your health at the start of each working day (thoroughly check your body for skin lesions) and avoid contact with vulnerable patients.

The Municipal Public Health Service (GGD) will contact you two to three times a week to ask you about your health.

What should you do if you develop symptoms?

Stay at home and immediately contact the GGD if you develop any of the following symptoms in the coming 21 days:

• fever (temperature above 38.5 °C);
• headache;
• muscle aches;
• joint aches;
• chills;
• fatigue;
• skin rash (red spots that change into blisters or pimples);
• swollen lymph nodes.

 
Wear a type IIR face mask when you visit the test location.

You can get vaccinated

You qualify for a vaccine that is given to people who may have been infected with the virus that causes mpox. This vaccination lowers your risk of getting ill. The vaccine should preferably be given within four days of your last contact with the person with mpox. However, the vaccine can be given up to 14 days after your last contact. The GGD can give you more information about this.

Any questions?

Click here for more information about mpox and answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions, please call (www.ggd.nl).

What is mpox?

Mpox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus that occurs mainly in countries in West and Central Africa. Mpox can spread from animals to humans and can then spread from human to human. The disease is usually mild in humans. The disease often – but not always – starts with symptoms such as a fever, a headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and/or fatigue. After one to three days, a rash appears. This rash starts as spots that turn into blisters. The rash usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body. Once the blisters dry out, scabs form that eventually fall off after two to three weeks.

How is mpox transmitted?

Mpox can be transmitted from one person to the next in a number of different ways. It can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact (by touching the blisters) or through contact between the mucous membranes (of the mouth, nose and eyes), such as during French kissing and sex. The virus possibly also spreads through droplets from the blisters or from the mouth and throat (coughing, sneezing).

For information about the current situation, go to Mpox | RIVM.