The UK Health Security Agency has reported that a very small number of people in the UK have been diagnosed with monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a viral infection which is usually mild and goes away without the need for treatment.
It does not spread easily between people, only through very close contact with someone with symptoms, such as a rash and fever. Most people recover within a few weeks.
If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
Symptoms
- A rash like that seen in chickenpox., small fluid filled blisters/spots some which be crusting over. The rash lasts for 7-10 days and
- Flu like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches and pains, back ache, lack of energy and swollen lymph glands ( usually swelling which is painful in either the neck, armpits, or groin)
The rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body ( see below pictures) . The rash changes and goes through different stages – a bit like chicken pox – before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.
It does not spread easily however it does spread through close contact with infected respiratory secretions or skin lesions of an infected person, or with objects recently contaminated with fluids from the patient or materials from the lesion.
Most people recover within a few weeks; however, it can be fatal especially in immunosuppressed people (weakened immune systems)
If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.