Monkeypox may present with unusual symptoms, CDC warns
Doctors diagnosing monkeypox should be on the lookout for symptoms that don't quite match the typical descriptions of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned (opens in new tab) June 14.
... At the start of the infection, people usually develop fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue. Then the characteristic rashes associated with monkeypox begin to appear. These rashes typically progress through several stages ... ; eventually, these skin lesions scab over and fall off.
Historically, monkeypox rashes tend to erupt around the face and in the oral cavity, first, and then may progress to the extremities, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. However, some of the recent monkeypox cases in the U.S. have diverged from this pattern, the CDC reported.
Many U.S. patients' rashes have initially appeared around the genitals and anus, as well as the tissues lining the mouth. In some patients, these rashes have caused pain in the anus and rectum, rectal bleeding, painful inflammation of the rectal lining (proctitis) and the sensation of having to pass stool when the bowels are empty (tenesmus). These symptoms are not included in the typical descriptions of monkeypox. ...
Similarly odd presentations of monkeypox have been seen in other countries impacted by the current outbreak. ...
In general, symptoms of monkeypox infections can resemble those caused by the Varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, and they can also look like certain sexually transmitted infections, such as syphilis and herpes, the CDC noted. If a patient appears to have one of these illnesses, clinicians should perform a thorough examination of the skin and mucosal tissues, including the anal, vaginal and oral tissues, to rule out monkeypox as a diagnosis. ...