Unique symptoms emerge during recent monkeypox outbreak
The monkeypox illness now spreading around the globe is showing some symptoms that are very different from those seen in previous outbreaks, a new study shows.
www.upi.com
The monkeypox illness now spreading around the globe is showing some symptoms that are very different from those seen in previous outbreaks, a new study shows.
These unique symptoms include rectal pain, penile swelling, solitary lesions and swollen tonsils, researchers reported in Thursday's issue of the
BMJ.
"Understanding these findings will have major implications for contact tracing, public health advice, and ongoing infection control and isolation measures," the researchers explained in a journal news release.
For the study, researchers evaluated 197 confirmed monkeypox cases at an infectious disease center in London between May and July 2022.
RELATED
San Francisco declares monkeypox outbreak local health emergency
All patients presented with monkeypox lesions, most commonly on their genitals or near their anus. All cases were men, and all but one were men who have sex with other men.
A total of 71 patients reported
rectal pain, 33 had a
sore throat, and 31 had a
swollen penis, while 27 had
oral lesions, 22 had a solitary lesion and nine had
swollen tonsils
Overall, 10% of the study's patients were admitted to the hospital for management of symptoms, most commonly rectal pain and swelling of the penis, the researchers said
More than one-third (36%) of participants also had
HIV, while 32% of those screened for sexually transmitted diseases had one, the investigators found.
