A new study of monkeypox patients in England revealed that current symptoms of the disease are different from cases in previous years. Accordingly, in new cases of monkeypox, the number of skin lesions in the genital area increases, while fatigue and high fever are less common.
A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that the symptoms seen in recent cases of monkeypox are different from previous cases.
Research by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in England found that fatigue and fever were less common and genital skin lesions were more common in monkeypox infections in the current outbreak.
Scientists stated that they examined the symptom differences between the study and the cases in the current epidemic for the first time. However, it was emphasized that the frequency of skin lesions on the genitals points to the important role of homosexual intercourse in the spread of monkeypox in non-endemic countries.
It was stated that all 54 of the participants examined in the study were male and had monkeypox, and their average age was 41. Patients were admitted to UK sexual health clinics for a 2-week period in May, at the start of the outbreak.
Conversely, it reported that none of its participants had previously traveled to sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease was previously endemic. 52 of 54 men said they were not aware they had been in contact with anyone who had recently had monkeypox.
5 OR MORE SEXUAL PARTNERS IN MOST PATIENTS
Of the volunteers who answered questions about their sexual history, 47 said they had at least one new sexual partner in the 3 weeks before symptoms appeared, and 29 out of 52 (55.8 percent) had more than 5 new partners in the previous 12 weeks.
Almost all patients (49/54) reported lesions and rashes in their genital area. Only five patients required hospitalization and no one died.
On the other hand, a quarter of the patients were diagnosed with monkeypox at the same time as another sexually transmitted infection.
The study authors suggested that the primary symptom of genital rashes should be added to monkeypox case definitions to more accurately identify symptomatic individuals.
THE NUMBER OF GLOBAL CASE EXCEEDED 5 thousand 700
On the other hand, there are currently more than 5,700 cases of monkeypox in non-endemic countries (non-Saharan Africa), mostly in Europe and North America.