The recent monkeypox outbreak has seen a lot of headlines for the painful rash it causes. And with those headlines comes a lot of confusion and curiosity about how a monkeypox rash usually appears.
“In previous monkeypox outbreaks, symptoms started with fever and often flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash,” explains Dr. Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City. “The rash would usually start on the face and then spread to many parts of the body, and people usually developed between 10 and 150 monkeypox boils.”
However, with the current monkeypox outbreak, the signs and symptoms are a little different.
“Affected people may not develop a fever or flu-like symptoms, and they are more likely to have fewer bumps on their skin,” says Dr. king. “People may only have one or two bumps.”
Adds Susan Massick, physician, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at Ohio State University College of Medicine, “Like other smallpox infections of the skin, there is a natural evolution in the skin findings, starting with a papule or bump on the skin, which then blisters ( blister) or looks like a pimple, which then scabs and eventually heals over the course of two to three weeks.”
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Monkeypox
What does a Monkeypox rash look like?
According to Dr. King the rash can start in the groin, genital area (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina), or around the anus — and it shouldn’t spread. In particular, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that the rash can appear on other areas as well, such as the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.
“But even if there are just a few bumps, they can still be very painful,” says Dr. king. “The bumps can look like blisters, pus-filled bumps, or open sores.”
dr. Massick adds that these mucosal lesions are “small, painful sores on the mucous membranes, sometimes white or red in color but usually painful with swelling.”
She adds, however, that the bumps may be in different stages of evolution — bump, blister/pustule, scab/eschar, and then slow healing sometimes with scarring or discoloration — and not all of them will appear at the same time and may not all have scabs. at the same time.
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“The rash will often increase in intensity and the number of skin lesions will increase with worsening symptoms of pain/discomfort/swelling,” says Dr. Massick.
She also notes that the skin lesions can be solitary or in clusters, can be localized — only in one body area — or more generalized/widespread, and it usually runs its course within three to four weeks.
Related: Do You Need the Monkeypox Vaccine?
What to do if you think you have monkey pox?
If you suspect you have monkey pox, the CDC recommends that you seek immediate medical attention if you develop a new, unexplained rash or lesions on any part of the body.
Related: What Are the Early Symptoms of Monkeypox?
“This could be your dermatologist, your primary care physician, or an urgent care center,” says Dr. king. “If monkeypox is suspected, a skin lesion will be taken and the swab will be sent to a lab to perform a PCR test for monkeypox. If you are seen by a non-dermatologist and need further diagnostic or management help, you can be referred to a dermatologist.
Once you’ve been tested and have a confirmed case of monkeypox, Dr. Massick admits that you can be contagious for 21 days or more.
Next: Everything you need to know about the Novavax COVID vaccine
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dr. Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City.
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Susan Massick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at Ohio State University College of Medicine.
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