Symptoms of Monkeypox
Monkeypox virus is in the same family as smallpox, and both belong to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. Consequently, they share similar symptoms. Generally speaking, people with monkeypox have relatively milder symptoms than smallpox. Another way to tell between monkeypox and smallpox is if it causes lymphadenopathy. Monkeypox often goes with swollen lymph nodes, while smallpox generally doesn’t cause lymphadenopathy.
After infection, monkeypox has an incubation period ranging from 7 to 14 days. It is also possible to take 5-21 days for people to manifest symptoms.
Early signs of monkeypox:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Back pain
- Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph node)
- Fatigue
After one to three days, rashes appear on the face and spread to other body parts such as palms and soles in succession. These rashes begin with flat red bumps and gradually become blisters filled with pus. Several days later, scabs form and slowly fall off. Symptoms of monkeypox usually clear up in a few weeks. [2]
