Monkeypox: Study finds 3 new severe symptoms to watch out for

With the world still dealing with the struggles of the coronavirus pandemic, another infection called monkeypox, is also spreading in multiple countries. Monkeypox is a viral infection with symptoms similar to smallpox infection.

As monkeypox cases rocket across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a global health emergency. As of July 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there had been 16,836 monkeypox confirmed cases globally.

Now, an international collaboration of clinicians has identified three new symptoms in people infected with monkeypox.

The New England Journal of Medicine study is the largest monkeypox case study series to date, including 528 confirmed infections at 43 sites between 27 April and 24 June 2022.

Along with the expected skin problems and rashes, the researchers found that many of the infected people in the study had symptoms which are not yet recognised in the current medical definitions of monkeypox. These symptoms include single genital lesions, sores in the mouth and sores on the anus.

Researchers found that one in ten individuals in the study had only a single skin lesion in the genital area, and 15 percent of the people in the study had anal and/or rectal pain. These clinical symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis or herpes, which is why these can easily be misdiagnosed. The researchers note that misdiagnosis can slow detection of monkeypox and hinder efforts to control the spread of the virus. Some people have also been hospitalised due to the anal and oral symptoms which is causing pain and difficulties in swallowing food.

Read more: How extreme heat puts you at risk

The experts of the research suggest that public health measures, such as enhanced testing and education, should be developed and implemented by working with at-risk groups. This will help to ensure that these measures are appropriate and non-stigmatising.

The researchers have shown that the current international case definitions need to be expanded to add the symptoms that are not currently included – such as sores in the mouth, on the anal mucosa and single ulcers. These symptoms can be severe and so it is important to make the diagnosis timely, seek appropriate treatment and prevent people from passing it on.

Doctor John Thornhill, Consultant Physician in Sexual Health and HIV and Clinical Senior Lecturer at Barts NHS Health Trust and Queen Mary University of London, said, “It is important to stress that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection in the traditional sense; it can be acquired through any kind of close physical contact.”

However, Doctor Thornhill suggests that most transmissions so far have been related to sexual activity and these have been mainly, but not exclusively, amongst men who have sex with men. These new symptoms shed light on ways in which monkeypox can spread and the groups which are at higher risk of catching the infection. This will help to improve identification of new cases and offer prevention strategies, such as vaccines, especially to individuals at higher risk.

Read more: Early signs of prostate cancer most men miss but shouldn't

On Sunday, India reported its fourth and Delhi’s first monkeypox case. As per reports, a 34-year-old man had gone on a holiday to Himachal Pradesh. Soon after, he developed fever but ignored the symptoms thinking it could be caused by seasonal changes, sources said. When the fever didn’t subside for almost a week and skin lesions began to appear at several places, the man, who is a resident of Paschim Vihar in west Delhi, visited a physician and a skin specialist, as per sources. He was then referred to Lok Nayak hospital – the designated centre for isolation and management of suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox.

The 34-year-old has no history of travel to countries affected by the disease, unlike the previous three cases reported from Kerala, officials said. This marks India’s first case of local human-to-human transmission of monkeypox.

Danish biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic has a vaccine that goes by the brand name Jynneos, Imvamune or Imvanex - depending on geography. The Copenhagen-based vaccine maker said on Monday that the European Commission had given permission for its Imvanex vaccine to be marketed as protection against monkeypox. It also has US approval for use in the prevention of monkeypox, as well as smallpox.