Monkeypox can pass through your skin via cracks, mouth, eyes, and nose when in close contact with a monkeypox victim.
Early or initial symptoms of monkeypox are regular flu-like symptoms. The period from infection to initial signs or the incubation period is between 6 to 13 days. But in severe cases, it can vary from 5 to 21 days. There are two infection stages- one where initial symptoms appear and the other where skin eruption occurs.
Initial symptoms of monkeypox in humans are as follows:
- Fever
- Muscle ache
- Swelling of lymph nodes
- Chills
- Backache
- Headache
- Fatigue
After 1 to 3 days of fever, eruptions on the skin appear. They are flat, red bumps on the skin, which are more concentrated on the face. The bumps slowly turn to pus-filled blisters, which fall off once dry. The rashes can even spread to your genitalia, the cornea in your eyes, the face, hands, and feet.
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms. In the current epidemic, many cases have shown unusual patterns, with many displaying only some of the symptoms. The symptoms of monkeypox generally last for 2-4 weeks. In most cases, people get better without treatment.
However, more serious cases can happen to children below 8 years of age and immunocompromised individuals. Severe complications of monkeypox in humans can lead to the following issues:
- Bronchopneumonia
- Sepsis
- Encephalitis
- Loss of vision due to infection in the cornea
While 99% of those afflicted by the monkeypox virus recover on their own, in very rare cases, death may occur.