Explained: Monkeypox symptoms usually occur in these 4 stages

According to the WHO, monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease and typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks. It may be severe in children, pregnant women or persons with immunosuppression due to other conditions.

Ireland and Mexico on Saturday confirmed their first cases of the monkeypox just a day after Argentina reported its first case of the disease. Officials in Mexico said the infected person is a 50-year-old permanent resident of New York City “who was probably infected in the Netherlands."

An employee of the vaccine company Bavarian Nordic shows a picture of a vaccine virus on a display in a laboratory of the company in Martinsried near Munich, Germany (REUTERS)

More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox, a usually mild illness that spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and a distinctive rash, have been reported this month. Most have been in Europe rather than in the Central and West African countries where the virus is endemic. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.

Experts are now pushing for faster action from global health authorities to contain a growing monkeypox outbreak that has spread to over 20 countries. They are of the view that the World Health Organization (WHO) “should not repeat the early missteps of the Covid-19 pandemic” that delayed the detection of cases, helping the virus spread.

Stage 1: The initial symptoms of monkeypox usually show up after the patient is infected. These symptoms are linked to the upper respiratory system and are very similar to flu. These symptoms include a very prominent fever, body aches and pains, headache, and fatigue.

Stage 2: As the body fights these flu-like symptoms, several enlarged lymph nodes may start appearing on the skin.

Stage 3: “The ‘lymphadenopathy’ (or occurrence of lumps) may then progresses to a rash often found on the hands, feet, face, mouth, or even genitals,” experts say.

Stage 4: In the final stage, these rashes usually transform into raised bumps or painful puss-filled red papules.

For how long does monkeypox last?

According to the WHO, monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease and typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks. It may be severe in children, pregnant women or persons with immunosuppression due to other conditions. The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days but it can be longer from 5 to 21 days.

(With Reuters, AFP inputs)