Doctors Say Mpox Symptoms Could Include A Rash. Here's How To Spot It
Mpox has been making headlines ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global health emergency last week. Considering that, it’s totally fair to have questions about the virus, including its symptoms.
The form of mpox that’s currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other African countries is different than the type that has been circulating in the U.S. at very low levels since 2022. Still, the type of mpox that’s currently spreading in Africa—known as clade I—has been detected in Sweden, raising concerns that it may continue to spread outside of Africa.
Clade I mpox has not been detected in the U.S. so far and infectious disease doctors are generally not worried about mpox causing a pandemic. But it’s also natural to have questions, especially given how much chatter it's gotten lately.
With that in mind, here’s what you should know about the symptoms of mpox.
Meet the expert: Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
What are the first symptoms of mpox?
Mpox doesn’t cause any symptoms at first, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Once you’re infected, the virus has an incubation period of three to 17 days, where you'll likely feel fine. From there, you may develop flu-like symptoms.
“The first symptoms are fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, and swollen lymph nodes,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
The CDC says you may also experience these symptoms:
Exhaustion
Headache
Respiratory symptoms (including a sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
Rash
After the flu-like symptoms show up, people with mpox usually get a rash on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth or near the genitals, per the CDC. The rash can look like pimples or blisters, and can be painful or itchy. It also may go through several stages—including scabs—before it heals, according to the CDC.
How is mpox treated?
The current standard treatment for mpox is an antiviral medication known as tecovirimat, but it’s not always used. “Most people do not need treatment for monkeypox,” Adalja says. “However, tecovirimat is given to those severe disease or who are immunocompromised.”
Recent research conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the drug did not reduce the length of time children and adults had mpox lesions during a clade I infection. But Adalja says that doesn’t mean that tecovirimat is ineffective.
“The cases of mpox that are occurring in the United States currently are clade II,” he points out. (And tecovirimat has been found to be effective against this clade.) “Also, the study did show a trend towards benefit in severe clade I infection.”
Meaning, if you become seriously ill with mpox, tecovirimat should be able to help.
What should I do if I suspect I have mpox?
If you develop a rash and flu-like symptoms in the United States right now and haven’t recently traveled to areas in Africa where mpox is circulating, the odds are pretty low that you have the virus. Still, it’s possible to contract the virus in the U.S.
“If someone suspects they may have mpox, they should seek medical attention and reduce close contact with others until seen by a medical professional,” Adalja says.
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