SYMPTOMS

If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear. The first symptoms of monkeypox include:

• a high temperature

• a headache

• muscle aches

• backache

• swollen glands

• shivering

• exhaustion

RASH

A rash usually appears 1 to 15 days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body. The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off. The symptoms usually clear up in 2 to 4 weeks.

TREATMENT

Treatment for monkeypox aims to relieve symptoms. The illness is usually mild and most people recover in 2 to 4 weeks. You may need to stay in hospital, so the infection does not spread to other people and your symptoms can be treated. Most people with monkeypox recover within a few weeks.

If you think you have symptoms contact the sexual health clinic for Cheshire West on 0300 247 0020