New monkeypox symptoms have been revealed in a latest study while a lead scientist of the report has warned that the virus has "no borders". A vaccination programme against monkeypox is being stepped up by the NHS as more supplies of a jab come on stream.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had procured 100,000 more doses of an effective vaccine as monkeypox cases continue to rise. As of July 18, there were 2,137 confirmed cases in the UK, with 2,050 in England.
It is known to cause flu-like symptoms and rashes with small spots which blister before scabbing over. But now other new symptoms have also been discovered.
“These symptoms include single genital lesions and sores on the mouth or anus,” a paper in The New England Journal of Medicine said. One in ten people had a single skin lesion in the genital area and 15% had anal or rectal pain said Dr John Thornhill, a sexual health consultant and lecturer at Queen Mary University of London.
The university's Professor Chloe Orkin said: “Viruses know no borders and monkeypox infections have now been described in 70 countries and in more than 13,000 people.”
According to the NHS, if you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
The first symptoms of monkeypox include:
- a high temperature
- a headache
- muscle aches
- backache
- swollen glands
- shivering (chills)
- exhaustion
A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body. This can include the genitals and anus.
The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.
The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks. While you have symptoms, you can pass monkeypox on to other people.
