JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It starts as a fever and then a rash. These are the primary symptoms of monkeypox that doctors say you should look out for.
“It’s typically going to be located around your face, your arms, your legs, your soles of your hands and the bottom of your feet that’s typically where this monkeypox rash occurs," said Dr. Chirag Patel, assistant chief medical officer with UF Health Jacksonville.
Patel says the difference between Monkeypox and the other common viruses, is that it’s much less transmitted face to face through respiratory droplets.
“You really need to be face to face with somebody infected with Monkeypox breathing in some of the same air as them for hours before you would contract monkey pox," said Patel. "So this is more of a contact sort of transmission."
Dr. Shalika Katugaha, System Medical Director of Infectious Disease at Baptist Health says there are two vaccines in the U.S. that you can get to prevent Monkeypox, these vaccines were initially for smallpox.
“In past studies, when you looked at it for smallpox, they were around 85 percent effective. We actually don’t know how effective they are necessarily are right now, but the recommendation is to get it," said Katugaha.
While monkeypox has not made its way Jacksonville, Katugaha has some health tips to keep in mind to prevent yourself from getting the disease.
“Avoiding skin to skin contact with anyone who has had it. Avoiding close contact like kissing and hugging and being very careful with what we touch like in terms of towels clothing when someone has Monkeypox," said Katugaha.
If you do see any Monkeypox symptoms, doctors suggest calling your doctor first and not just showing up for treatment, so you don't spread the virus.
RELATED: 4 Fast Facts about monkeypox