- face, which is the most common site
- palms of the hands
- soles of the feet
- mouth
- genitalia
- eyes, including the conjunctivae and cornea
The rash consists of lesions that evolve in the following order:
- macules, or flat discolored lesions
- papules, or slightly raised lesions
- vesicles, or bumps with clear fluid
- pustules, or bumps with yellowish fluid
- scabs
A rash caused by monkeypox can cause severe itching and go through several stages before the legions scab and fall off.
A monkeypox infection typically lasts two to four weeks and usually clears up on its own.
“It can last for several weeks, and people can feel fairly ill,” says Anne Rimoin, chair of infectious diseases and public health at the University of California, Los Angeles.
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How do you get monkeypox virus?
Monkeypox is primarily spread from animals to humans — and less often from person to person because close contact with bodily fluids is needed, adds Hannah Newman, director of epidemiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Risk factors for past outbreaks included contact with live or dead animals and consumption of wild game or bush meat from wild animals, Newman adds.
Once the virus jumps from an animal to a human, human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with respiratory droplets, bodily fluids or skin lesions.
