
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Monkeypox history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The significant information in the patient’s history include recent travel to endemic area of monkeypox or possible contact with infected person, animal, or contaminated material. Initial symptoms include fever, chills, lymphadenopathy, headache, and myalgia, followed by skin rash of multiple lesions that develop and evolve at the same time. The evolvement of the lesions progresses as follows: macular (1β2 days), papular (1β2 days), vesicular (1β2 days), pustular (5-7 days), lastly scab (7-14 days)_Monkeypox_|_Poxvirus_|_CDC-1|[1].
History
History
The significant information in the patient’s history include:
- Recent travel to endemic area
- Recent contact with person with similar complains or infected person with monkeypox
Symptoms
Symptoms
After infection, the incubation period lasts 7-14 days. Initial symptoms develop at the beginning of the prodromal period include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Lymphadenopathy (distinctive feature of monkeypox)
- Headache
- Myalgia
Following the prodromal period, a rash develops with the following characteristics:
- Lesions develop and evolve at the same time
- Lesions progresses from macular (1β2 days), papular (1β2 days), vesicular (1β2 days), to pustular (5-7 days), then scab (7-14 days)_Monkeypox_|_Poxvirus_|_CDC-1|[1]
- Common anatomical sites for lesions include the anogenital area (73%); the trunk, arms, or legs (55%); the face (25%); and the palms and soles (10%)[2]
In certain cases, monkeypox may be asymptomatic[3][4].
Diagnostic Criteria
Clinical, laboratory and epidemiologic criteria for case classification β U.S. Monkeypox Response, May 2022_MMWR-5|[5]
| Clinical and laboratory classification | Criteria |
| Suspected | New characteristic rash* OR |
| Meets one of the epidemiologic criteria and has high clinical suspicionβ for monkeypox | |
| Probable | No suspicion of other recent orthopoxvirus exposure (e.g., Vaccinia virus in ACAM2000 vaccination) AND demonstration of the presence of |
| β’ Β Β Orthopoxvirus DNA by polymerase chain reaction testing of a clinical specimen
OR | |
| β’ Β Β Orthopoxvirus using immunohistochemical or electron microscopy testing methods
OR | |
| β’ Β Β Detectable levels of antiorthopoxvirus IgM antibody during the period of 4β56 days after rash onset | |
| Confirmed | Demonstration of the presence of Monkeypox virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction testing or next-generation sequencing of a clinical specimen
OR |
| Isolation of Monkeypox virus in culture from a clinical specimen |
(*)The characteristic rash associated with monkeypox lesions involve the following: deep-seated and well-circumscribed lesions, often with central umbilication; and lesion progression through specific sequential stages: macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, and scabs. The rash can sometimes be confused with other diseases that are more commonly encountered in clinical practice (e.g., secondary syphilis, herpes, and varicella zoster). Historically, sporadic accounts of patients co-infected with Monkeypox virus and other infectious agents (e.g., varicella zoster, or syphilis) have been reported, therefore patients with a characteristic rash should be considered to receive testing, even if other test results are positive. β Clinical suspicion can exist if initial signs and symptoms are consistent with illnesses confused with monkeypox (e.g., secondary syphilis, herpes, and varicella zoster).
References
References
- β _Monkeypox_|_Poxvirus_|_CDC_1-0|1.0 _Monkeypox_|_Poxvirus_|_CDC_1-1|1.1 “Clinical Recognition | Monkeypox | Poxvirus | CDC”. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
- β Thornhill JP, Barkati S, Walmsley S, Rockstroh J, Antinori A, Harrison LB; et al. (2022). “Monkeypox Virus Infection in Humans across 16 Countries – April-June 2022”. N Engl J Med. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2207323. PMIDΒ 35866746 Check
|pmid=value (help). - β De Baetselier I, Van Dijck C, Kenyon C, Coppens J, Michiels J, de Block T; et al. (2022). “Retrospective detection of asymptomatic monkeypox virus infections among male sexual health clinic attendees in Belgium”. Nat Med. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-02004-w. PMIDΒ 35961373 Check
|pmid=value (help). - β Reda A, El-Qushayri AE, Shah J (2022). “Asymptomatic monkeypox infection: a call for greater control of infection and transmission”. Lancet Microbe. doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00259-2. PMCΒ 9536807 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMIDΒ 36209756 Check|pmid=value (help). - _MMWR_5-0|β “Monkeypox Outbreak β Nine States, May 2022 | MMWR”. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Bassel Almarie M.D.[2]
