London: People infected with monkeypox during the ongoing global outbreak are displaying symptoms not typically associated with the viral infection, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.
The findings are based on 197 confirmed monkeypox cases at an infectious disease centre in London, UK, between May and July 2022. Some of the common symptoms they described include rectal pain and penile swelling (oedema), which differ from those described in previous outbreaks, the researchers said. They recommend that clinicians consider monkeypox infection in patients presenting with these symptoms.
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According to the researchers, those with confirmed monkeypox infection with extensive penile lesions or severe rectal pain “should be considered for ongoing review or inpatient management.” All 197 participants in the study were men (average age 38 years), of whom 196 identified as gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men.
All patients presented with lesions on their skin or mucosal membranes, most commonly on the genitals or in the perianal area.
Most (86 per cent) of patients reported systemic illness (affecting the entire body). The most common systemic symptoms were fever (62 per cent), swollen lymph nodes (58 per cent), and muscle aches and pain (32 per cent).
In contrast with existing case reports suggesting that systemic symptoms precede skin lesions, 38 per cent of patients developed systemic symptoms after the onset of mucocutaneous lesions, while 14 per cent presented with lesions without systemic features.
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A total of 71 patients reported rectal pain, 33 sore throat, and 31 penile oedema, while 27 had oral lesions, 22 had a solitary lesion, and 9 had swollen tonsils.
The researchers noted that solitary lesions and swollen tonsils were not previously known to be typical features of monkeypox infection, and could be mistaken for other conditions.
Just over a third (36 per cent) of participants also had HIV infection and 32 per cent of those screened for sexually transmitted infections had a sexually transmitted infection, they said.
Overall, 20 (10 per cent) of participants were admitted to hospital for the management of symptoms, most commonly rectal pain and penile swelling. However, no deaths were reported and no patients required intensive hospital care.
Also Read: Sexual Contact Not The Only Cause For Monkeypox: WHO Chief Scientist
Only one participant had recently travelled to an endemic region, confirming ongoing transmission within the UK, and only a quarter of patients had known contact with someone with confirmed monkeypox infection, raising the possibility of transmission by people with no or very few symptoms.
The study authors acknowledge some limitations, such as the observational nature of the findings, the potential variability of clinical record keeping, and the fact that the data are limited to a single centre.
However, they said these findings confirm the ongoing unprecedented community transmission of monkeypox virus among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men seen in the UK and many other non-endemic countries.
Understanding these findings will have major implications for contact tracing, public health advice, and ongoing infection control and isolation measures, the researchers added.
Also Read: Monkeypox Scare In India: How Severe Is The Disease And Should We Be Worried? Experts Explain
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
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