Risk of mpox being ‘confused with chickenpox’ after new killer strain detected in the UK – how to spot the difference

A NEW strain of the mpox microorganism has been detected successful the UK, and present an adept has warned not to confuse the symptoms with chickenpox.

Three radical successful the UK person been recovered to beryllium infected with the clade 1b mpox variant, which was archetypal detected successful cardinal Africa and appears to transmit much easy betwixt people.

Mpox viruses are divided into antithetic clades - clade 1 is typically recovered successful cardinal Africa and clade 2 in western parts of Africa. Clade 1 is further subdivided into the clades 1a and 1b. 

Mpox causes the emblematic symptoms of an infectious disease, including flu-like symptoms, a precocious temperature/fever, headaches, tiredness, and swollen lymph nodes.

This is typically followed by a rash that is initially characterised by tiny spots, which past advancement into pus-filled blisters.

The rash normally lasts betwixt 2 and 4 weeks.

But astatine the commencement of an infection, it mightiness not beryllium straightforward to differentiate betwixt mpox and different infectious diseases.

Professor of Molecular Medicine, Martin Michaelis, from the University of Kent's School of Biosciences, warned there's sometimes a hazard mpox whitethorn beryllium confused with chickenpox.

He explained: "These are different diseases caused by different, unrelated viruses. Mpox is caused by a poxvirus that is related to the smallpox virus that was successfully eradicated successful the past period and the vaccinia virus that was used as a vaccine microorganism for the eradication of smallpox.

"In contrast, chickenpox are caused by the Varizella Zoster virus, which is a herpes microorganism that is intimately related to the herpes simplex viruses that cause cold sore."

How to archer the quality betwixt mpox and chickenpox

The astir diagnostic and recognisable grounds of mpox is the rash. Although it's important to enactment this whitethorn instrumentality a fewer days to develop.

The NHS says the archetypal symptoms of mpox to look are:

• A precocious somesthesia (fever)
• A headache
• Muscle aches
• Back ache
• Swollen glands
• Shivering (chills)
• Exhaustion
• Joint symptom

A rash is besides the main grounds of chickenpox. But Prof Michaelis advised: "Mpox lesions are usually larger and much painful, whereas chickenpox lesions thin to beryllium smaller and itchy."

Other symptoms of chickenpox include:

• A precocious somesthesia
• Aches and pains and mostly feeling unwell
• Loss of appetite

The mpox rash typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks, portion the chickenpox rash lasts astir 5 to 10 days.

Mpox tin beryllium readily transmitted via close person-to-person interaction and via contaminated materials, specified arsenic clothes, bedding, and towels.

So infected individuals should debar interaction with others arsenic agelong arsenic they have symptoms.

What to bash if you deliberation you person mpox symptoms

You should isolate yourself and get tested, truthful that contacts that you mightiness person infected tin be identified, said Prof Michaelis.

He added: "There is nary established circumstantial antiviral treatment. A drug called tecovirimat is nether investigation, but the grounds connected its efficacy is mixed.

"Hence, attraction is typically symptomatic and focused on controlling pain and fever."

Can an mpox corruption go serious?

Serious illness and deaths person been recorded. But it remains unclear how big the hazard is successful a state with a well-developed health strategy similar the UK - children are mostly astatine a higher risk.

Prof Michaelis said: "Vaccines are disposable that should alteration america to get mpox under control, if it keeps spreading.

"The risk that caller mpox viruses look that can flight immune extortion provided by the vaccines is much smaller than for COVID-19, due to the fact that the mpox microorganism mutates overmuch little than SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

"Nevertheless, each mpox microorganism corruption is still associated with a risk of the enactment of viruses that are more dangerous.

"Hence, it would beryllium prudent to suppress the mpox dispersed arsenic overmuch as possible, ideally starting successful Africa, wherever we person already seen tens of thousands of cases and astir 1,000 deaths."

If you deliberation you person mpox symptoms, arsenic good arsenic staying location and avoiding adjacent interaction with different people, interaction a intersexual wellness session oregon NHS 111.