Monkeypox does not spread easily between humans, and requires close contact. Most patients recover from monkeypox in a few weeks. “The rash changes and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox or syphilis, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.” “A rash can develop, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body, including the genitals,” the UKHSA says. The current international outbreak appears to involve the west African strain, although not all countries have released such information.Īccording to the UK Health Security Agency, early symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and chills, as well as other features such as exhaustion. There are two forms of monkeypox, a milder west African strain and a more severe central African, or Congo strain. Cases, usually small clusters or isolated infections, are sometimes diagnosed in other countries, including the UK where the first case was recorded in 2018 in an individual thought to have contracted the virus in Nigeria.
Monkeypox is a viral infection typically found in central and western Africa.
