London

As the monkeypox virus continues to spread worldwide, a new study has said new symptoms have emerged which are different to the previous outbreak in the African region.

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A study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that some patients suffered anal or rectal pain or both. The study quoting the New England Journal of Medicine said 95 per cent of patients had rashes, including a majority with anogenital lesions and mucosal lesions.

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The study said the "current case definition of monkeypox should be expanded" after "unexpected findings" with 15 per cent of people suffering from anal and rectal pain. The study said the existing considerations "do not cover the full range of possible manifestations".

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Monkeypox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. Reports say over 2,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in the US including 2,050 in England with London being the worst-hit city.

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The study said "transmission" was suspected to have occurred through sexual activity in 95 per cent of cases with 98 per cent of people infected being gay or bisexual men. The US CDC has defined monkeypox symptoms to include fever, headache, muscle ache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and respiratory symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion and cough.

The CDC said the symptoms usually appear one or two weeks after the infection and a person could have rashes that look like pimples or blisters on the face and the illness typically lasts between two to four weeks.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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