The monkeypox virus continues to infect people around the world and has shown no signs of slowing down. To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map listed over 10,600 confirmed cases in almost 60 countries since the outbreak began.
As more cases are detected worldwide, infected patients also report new symptoms. The new research reveals that the symptoms are not typically associated with monkeypox and are somewhat linked to sexually transmitted infection (STI).
New Study Finds Links Between Monkeypox, STIs As New Symptoms Are Reported
New Symptoms of Monkeypox Detected
The current strain of the monkeypox virus has been circulating since 2018 and has mutated 12 times since then, Mirror reported. Confirmed cases are also expected to rise during summer due to festivals and nightclubs around Europe and the UK. That is why experts remind the public to be aware of the early warning signs of the virus.
In the past, monkeypox cases in the UK were limited to those who traveled from Africa. But the current outbreak has reported patients who have no international travel history and many of them are men who have sexual intercourse with other men.
The new study titled "Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Confirmed Human Monkeypox Virus Cases in Individuals Attending a Sexual Health Centre in London, UK: An Observational Analysis," published in The Lancet, reveals new symptoms in monkeypox cases in individuals attending a sexual health center in London.
Researchers found unusual symptoms of monkeypox in some patients. Around 67% have lethargy or fatigue, 18% have a fever, 94% have skin lesions, and 55% have swelling lymph nodes.
The National Health Service (NHS) said that it takes about 21 days for the first symptoms to appear in an infected individual. In terms of rashes, they usually appear between one to five days before spreading on the face and other body parts.
ALSO READ: Monkeypox vs. Shingles: How to Tell the Difference Between the 2 Diseases
Monkeypox Virus and Sexually Transmitted Infection Share Similar Symptoms
Some confirmed cases of monkeypox have existing STIs, warning physicians to be cautious in dealing with testing for both diseases since the monkeypox outbreak could look like an STI, CNBC previously reported.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in an interview that some patients have concurrent syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea, or chlamydia infections. She noted that the rashes caused by monkeypox could resemble that of herpes and syphilis.
She added that it is important to be aware of the similar symptoms between monkeypox and some STIs to prevent mistaking the two diseases for one another. Symptomatic patients should be tested for all sexually transmitted infections including monkeypox since many patients developed rashes only on the genitals or anus before they experienced flu-like symptoms.
Most people diagnosed with monkeypox have close physical contact with other infected people, spreading the virus through sores, bodily fluids, and clothes or bedsheets.
RELATED ARTICLE: Monkeypox DNA Found in Semen of Some Patients Strongly Favors Sexual Transmission Hypothesis, Study Says
Check out more news and information on Monkeypox in Science Times.