Public health advice on mpox and congregate settings: settings in which people live, stay or work in proximity

Overview

Because the mpox (monkeypox) virus spreads through close contact, places where people live in proximity to others may be at higher risk of mpox if the virus is circulating in their community.

Sometimes referred to as congregate settings, these are a range of contexts and facilities where people are living in proximity to one another, often in large numbers. Examples of congregate settings include facilities such as prisons, refugee camps, nursing homes, transitional housing and university campus housing.

This document contains practical advice to help reduce the risk of mpox transmission in a range of congregate settings. They can be used as a basis for formal and informal community conversations, information sessions, or producing community information for your communities on how to protect themselves and others.