The monkeypox virus is largely spread through close and primarily sexual contact. Cases of the disease are generally mild. A vaccination is available.
Name
After a series of consultations with specialists around the world, the WHO has now begun using the name ‘mpox’ for what was formerly referred to as the disease ‘monkeypox’. The change is intended to avoid any stigmatisation of persons contracting the virus. The FOPH is also adopting the new ‘mpox’ name.
Virus and transmission
The monkeypox virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus family. The virus is primarily transmitted through direct contact of the skin or mucous membranes, or via contact with infected secretions from one or more blisters or lesions on the skin or the mucous membranes of a person already infected. The monkeypox virus can also spread via scabs, respiratory secretions and bodily fluids; and pregnant women who are infected can transmit the virus to the foetus via the placenta. Whether the virus can also be transmitted via semen, vaginal secretions, urine and/or faeces has not yet been established.
Pathology
The disease mpox may develop within five to 21 days after close contact with an infected person. The severity of its symptoms varies from case to case. Some infected persons develop only isolated and mild symptoms. The skin rash is often unremarkable, with few or only isolated blisters or pimples. These blisters and pimples – lesions – may be painful or itchy, and can develop at any stage in the course of the disease. The infection may also cause flu-like symptoms (such as fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, backache, a sore throat and similar) and/or symptoms in the genital and anal area (pain, bleeding, inflammation).
A person with mpox may be infectious themselves from the time the first symptoms appear until the skin rash has disappeared, i.e. until the last scabs have fallen off.
No long-term effects of an mpox infection have yet been detected. Immunocompromised persons, infants, children and pregnant women seem to be at higher risk of developing a more severe case of the disease.
Spread and incidence
The monkeypoxvirus virus is likely to have originated among rodents in West and Central Africa, which may have then passed it on to humans. A few occasional cases or minor outbreaks of the disease had been reported from these West and Central Africa regions up to May 2022. Elsewhere, apart from one outbreak in the USA in 2003, only isolated cases had been reported, among persons who had recently travelled to the regions concerned.
Exceptionally large numbers of mpox infections were first seen worldwide – and in Switzerland, too – in summer 2022. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared this mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 23 July 2022.
Only sporadic cases of mpox have been reported since autumn 2022. What has been observed – in Switzerland and worldwide – is that the cases reported have particularly (but not exclusively) involved men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans persons with changing male sexual partners. The risk of infection for the broader population is low.
Prevention
Persons at risk can basically protect themselves from mpox infection by adapting their behaviour. A preventive vaccination (Jynneos® from Bavarian Nordic) may also be administered, subject to an individual risk/benefit analysis with a healthcare professional. Responsibility for organising and performing such vaccinations lies with the cantons, who will also determine where these can be administered. Information on vaccination possibilities and the appropriate specialist healthcare professionals is available from the cantonal health authorities. Anyone wishing to receive an mpox vaccination must seek prior medical advice on this from a specialist healthcare professional.
Cantonal Hospital Aarau
Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic
House 7, U1
Tellstrasse
5000 Aarau
Tel. +41 62 838 68 12
infektiologie@ksa.ch
Monkeypox vaccination | Canton Hospital Aarau (in German)
Cantonal hospital Baden
im Ergel 1
5404 Baden
Tel. +41 56 486 25 84
infektiologie@ksb.ch
Affenpocken (kantonsspitalbaden.ch) (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton St. Gallen.
Cantonal hospital St.Gallen
Clinic for Infectiology/Hospital Hygiene
House 20
Rorschacher Strasse 95
9007 St.Gallen
Tel. +41 71 494 26 32 (outpatient unit for infectious diseases)
infektiologie@kssg.ch
Anmeldung zur Affenpocken-Impfung | Klinik für Infektiologie / Spitalhygiene (infekt-kssg.ch) (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton St. Gallen.
Cantonal hospital St.Gallen
Clinic for Infectiology/Hospital Hygiene
House 20
Rorschacher Strasse 95
9007 St.Gallen
Tel. +41 71 494 26 32 (outpatient unit for infectious diseases)
infektiologie@kssg.ch
Anmeldung zur Affenpocken-Impfung | Klinik für Infektiologie / Spitalhygiene (infekt-kssg.ch) (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Basel-Stadt:
Website der Medizinischen Dienste Basel-Stadt - Affenpocken-Impfung (in German)
Campus Inselspital vaccination centre
Friedbühlstrasse 15
3008 Bern
You register for an appointment for a vaccination via the VacMe portal (German and French).
Information on monkeypox disease:
Affenpockenimpfung im Impfzentrum Inselspital - Inselspital - Universitätsspital Bern (in German)
You will be given information on where the vaccination takes place when you register.
026 305 79 80
vaccination-covid@fr.ch
Monkeypox | Canton Freiburg
Geneva Universityv Hospitals (HUG)
Tel. +41 22 546 55 27
mc-ge@hin.ch
Monkeypox vaccination | ge.ch
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Zurich.
Affenpocken | Kanton Zürich (zh.ch) (in German)
Cantonal hospital infectious diseases and hospital hygiene unit:
Cantonal Hospital Graubünden
Department of Internal Medicine
Infectiology and Hospital Hygiene
Loëstrasse 170
7000 Chur
Tel. +41 81 256 75 45
infektiologie@ksgr.ch
Infektiologie/Spitalhygiene (ksgr.ch; infectious diseases and hospital hygiene)
Further information: Aids-Hilfe Graubünden (aidshilfe-gr.ch) (in German)
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital:
Lucerne site
Spitalstrasse
6000 Lucerne 16
Sursee site
Spitalstrasse 16a
6210 Sursee
T 0848 553 433
impfung@luks.ch
Information on the vaccination: Affenpocken-Impfung | Luzerner Kantonsspital (luks.ch; Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, monkeypox vaccination (in German)
Register for an appointment for a vaccination: MeinLUKS - Anmeldeseite (in German)
Health Service and Health Promotion
Serre 14
2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
Générations Sexualités Neuchâtel (GSN)
Grand-Rue 18
2034 Peseux
Neuchâtel hospital network (RHNE)
Service infectiologie
Maladière 45
2000 Neuchâtel
Tel. +41 32 889 11 00
MedecinCantonal@ne.ch
Variole du singe - République et canton de Neuchâtel (in French)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Lucerne:
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital:
Lucerne site
Spitalstrasse
6000 Lucerne 16
Sursee site
Spitalstrasse 16a
6210 Sursee
T 0848 553 433
impfung@luks.ch
Information on the vaccination: Affenpocken-Impfung | Luzerner Kantonsspital (luks.ch; Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, monkeypox vaccination (in German)
Register for an appointment for a vaccination: MeinLUKS - Anmeldeseite (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Lucerne:
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital:
Lucerne site
Spitalstrasse
6000 Lucerne 16
Sursee site
Spitalstrasse 16a
6210 Sursee
T 0848 553 433
impfung@luks.ch
Information on the vaccination: Affenpocken-Impfung | Luzerner Kantonsspital (luks.ch; Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, monkeypox vaccination (in German)
Register for an appointment for a vaccination: MeinLUKS - Anmeldeseite (in German)
Cantonal hospital of St.Gallen
Clinic for Infectiology/Hospital Hygiene
House 20
Rorschacher Strasse 95
9007 St.Gallen
Tel. +41 71 494 26 32 (outpatient unit for infectious diseases)
infektiologie@kssg.ch
Anmeldung zur Affenpocken-Impfung | Klinik für Infektiologie / Spitalhygiene (infekt-kssg.ch) (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Zurich.
Affenpocken | Kanton Zürich (zh.ch) (in German)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Zurich.
Affenpocken | Kanton Zürich (zh.ch) (in German)
Cantonal hospital of Olten
Infectious diseases:
Tel. +41 62 3115244
Infektiologie.kso@spital.so.ch
soH | Infektiologie/Spitalhygiene | Kantonsspital Olten (solothurnerspitaeler.ch) (in German)
Civic Hospital of Solothurn
Medical outpatient unit
Tel. +41 32 627 33 26
med.amb.bss@spital.so.ch
soH | Infektiologie | Bürgerspital Solothurn (solothurnerspitaeler.ch) (in German)
Cantonal hospital of Münsterlingen
Infectiology consultation
Spitalcampus 1
8596 Münsterlingen
Tel. +41 71 686 16 08
infektiologie.ksm@stgag.ch
Amt für Gesundheit (tg.ch) (cantonal department of health; in German)
Details of where you can be vaccinated will follow once the vaccine is available.
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Lucerne:
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital:
Lucerne site
Spitalstrasse
6000 Lucerne 16
Sursee site
Spitalstrasse 16a
6210 Sursee
T 0848 553 433
impfung@luks.ch
Information on the vaccination: Affenpocken-Impfung | Luzerner Kantonsspital (luks.ch; Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, monkeypox vaccination (in German)
Register for an appointment for a vaccination: MeinLUKS - Anmeldeseite (in German)
Central Hospital Institute
Avenue Grand-Champsec 86
1950 Sion
Tel. +41 79 914 47 69
ich.vaccination@hopitalvs.ch
Vaccination de la variole du singe - Hôpital du Valais (hopitalduvalais.ch) (information about the monkeypox vaccination; in French)
Variole du singe - VD.CH (information about the monkeypox vaccination; in French)
Please get in touch with the contact point for Canton Zurich.
Affenpocken | Kanton Zürich (zh.ch) (in German)
Affenpocken | Kanton Zürich (zh.ch) (in German)
The treatment of mpox consists primarily in treating its symptoms. In particularly severe cases, an antiviral therapy may also be conducted. The medicine required for this is available in Switzerland.
The costs of the mpox vaccination and/or any antiviral medicine required will be met by the Swiss Confederation until such costs can be paid or reimbursed via the health insurance scheme of the individual concerned.
Further information is also available at:
The Swiss AIDS Federation
Dr. Gay
Last modification 13.09.2023
Contact
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Division Communicable diseases
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
3003
Bern
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 463 87 06