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What Does Monkeypox Look Like?

What Does Monkeypox Look Like?

Lesions and/or skin rashes on body parts can be suggestive of several viral infectious diseases. The monkeypox infection is one such. To resolve the adverse health implications of such infectious diseases and curb their outbreak (spread), people need to be well-informed about them.

This is why health regulatory bodies like the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) provide up-to-date stats to support this course. Here on the welfare page of the International Health Alliance website, we will briefly discuss monkeypox.

What Monkeypox Looks Like – Then and Now

For starters, this is not the first time this virus disease is making headlines. There was an outbreak many decades ago and measures were taken to curb its spread and ultimately put an end to it. As it is, the monkeypox infection has reared its ugly head again. However, there are striking differences between the old and the new face of the monkeypox virus infection.

The Look Back Then

The number of rash bumps associated with this virus infection was so much back then. The symptoms for infected people included having from 10 to as many as 200 pox-like rash bumps. In most cases, the abnormal growth and lesions usually started their spread from the person’s face.

The Look Right Now

The new kind of monkeypox is characterized by fewer rash bumps than the one experienced decades ago. Other than this, the rash usually does not start from the face. Rather, it usually starts from what many would term private body parts.

Examples include the penis (for men), the vagina (for women), and the anus. There is also the possibility that it remains in that spot, as opposed to spreading to other parts of the body (like the hand).

Monkeypox Is Contagious

Just as covid is contagious, so is monkeypox. For this reason, people with monkeypox need to factor in other people’s health. This is because it is a contagious viral disease. This is why they need to be fast about diagnosis and getting medical treatment from a clinic or health care service provider.

As a result of its contagious nature, health bodies like the CDC maintain that cases of monkeypox outbreaks be reported to them. This is to ensure that those exposed to infected persons are reduced to the barest minimum.

Those with the monkeypox virus disease remain contagious as long as the rash bumps are not completely healed. In most cases, 2 – 4 weeks is the time it takes for people to recover from this infection. To curb the spread of monkeypox and the risk factors that come with it, here are a few things to know:

No Close Contact with Infected Individuals

You can be infected by coming in close contact with an infected person. So, avoid this and it also includes having sexual intercourse with a person that has it. This is also why you should avoid close contact with people in public places.

Exposure to Items and Areas Used by Infected Individuals

You can contract monkeypox when you make use of items used by a person that has it. This also emphasizes the need for proper hygiene.

It might also interest you to know how some animals are carriers of monkeypox. So, be careful even with animals. It has been reported by credible sources that the smallpox vaccine helps build resistance against the monkeypox virus. So, a person that has been vaccinated with the smallpox vaccine stands a better chance of not getting this virus infection.

Symptoms of Monkeypox

There are no fewer than 8 symptoms of monkeypox disease (as noted by WHO), including:

  • Fever (and some other flu-associated symptoms) – People usually develop these symptoms before the rash outbreak, but it could be the other way around
  • Muscle aches
  • Low energy
  • Back pain
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Headache
  • Nasal congestion, cough, sore throat and/or other respiratory symptoms

Even after recovery, a person can be left with weird-looking scars. A dermatologist can be seen to help in this regard.

Do not forget that we have other related content on the International Health Alliance website. For example, you can find out how long weed stays in the body.

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