A study of the current outbreak of monkeypox in the UK has found significant differences in the symptoms of current patients compared to those seen in previous outbreaks in other parts of the world, the journal reports Friday. "The Lancet Infectious Diseases".
The study looked at 54 patients who attended sexual health clinics in London and were diagnosed with monkeypox over a 12-day period in May this year.
The findings suggest that patients in this group had a higher prevalence of skin lesions in the genital and anal area and a lower prevalence of fatigue and fever than in previously studied cases of monkeypox outbreaks.
The authors also predict that the high prevalence of genital skin lesions in patients and the high rate of sexually transmitted infections means that sexual health clinics are likely to see additional cases of monkeypox.
"The UK and several other countries are currently experiencing a rapid increase in monkeypox cases among people attending sexual health clinics, with no apparent link to countries where the disease is endemic."says Nicolo Girometti, of the Chelsea & Westminster hospital in London.
This study, added this doctor, will help clinical care in the future.
The 54 patients observed in this study represent 60% of the cases reported in the UK during the 12-day study period in May 2022.
All but two of the patients in this group did not know if they had been in contact with a known case and none reported travel to sub-Saharan Africa, however many had recently visited other European countries, the research indicates.
All patients identified as men who have sex with men and had a mean age of 41 years.
The patients were all symptomatic and had skin lesions. 94% of patients had at least one skin lesion on the genital or perianal skin.
Most of the patients recovered during home isolation, but five people required hospital admission due to pain or infection of skin lesions, but all improved, the study adds.