Department of Health and Human Services declaring the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency as the number of cases continue to rise, the most important thing you can do is know your risk level.

Monkeypox is still rare and most people have a low risk.

But if you are in a city where monkeypox is spreading, and in a community where it's spreading, you are at higher risk in this current phase of the outbreak.

The monkeypox outbreak first started spreading among men who have sex with men, a group that includes people who identify as gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary.

Direct, close, skin-to-skin contact "is considered to be the main route of transmission, which can occur in a variety of ways.

It can occur just by day-to-day contact with a case of monkeypox, in close proximity, or can occur through intimate contact, as well as during sexual contact," said Dr.

The CDC says monkeypox is contagious from the start of symptoms until the rash has healed.

The CDC also recommends avoiding utensils or cups used by someone with monkeypox.

"Hand hygiene is the most important thing, not just for monkeypox but for any infectious disease," says ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr.

The CDC says "festivals, events, and concerts where attendees are fully clothed and unlikely to share skin-to-skin contact are safer," when compared to similar events with minimal clothing and close contact.