What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Symptoms of monkeypox typically include a fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and, most typically, a skin rash or lesions. The rash usually begins within 1–3 days of the start of a fever. Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and can then crust, dry up and fall off. The number of lesions on one person can range from a few to several thousand.

The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. A genital and perianal rash has been reported mostly commonly in the current outbreak.

Symptoms typically last between two and four weeks and go away on their own without treatment. In some individuals, they can lead to medical complications and, rarely, death. People with underlying immune deficiencies, young children and pregnant women may be at risk of more serious symptoms.