Monkeypox: New study shows symptoms are making recognition of case more difficult

A new study released by the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that monkeypox patients across the globe are suffering from symptoms not normally linked to the virus.

Not only does this leadto missed and mistaken diagnoses, the cases do not conform to the definition of monkeypox released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the study, doctors are reporting some patients with only single sores from the disease in various parts of the body including the mouth as well as the genitals.

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Conducted across 16 countries, the study analysed 528 cases with more serious symptoms in immunocompromised people.

Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection even though it spreads through intimate contact.

Bloomberg quoted the lead author of the study, Chloe Orkin as saying “Case recognition is vital, and we haven’t been equipped to actually recognize the disease.”

Monkeypox, which historically spread through contact with infected animals or through household contacts in areas of West and Central Africa, has infected more than 15,000 people in the global outbreak.

Several local health departments have already alerted health workers to the new symptom patterns due to its “atypical features” in some cases.

While these symptoms include lack of fever or swollen lymph nodes, it is spreading mainly via close contact among men having sex with men.

The United States has hit snags in vaccine distribution and public-health messaging after early assurances that the country was prepared to handle a monkeypox outbreak.

Touting the Republican Party's bipartisan Prevent Pandemics Act, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina and Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington have criticised the Biden administration’s response to monkeypox.

(With inputs from agencies)

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