Monkeypox and tomato flu diseases have received media attention during the past few days, and they have in common that they lead to changes in the skin, so how do we distinguish between them?
Also, how do we distinguish between them and the skin changes in eczema and corona?
rash in monkeypox
According to the World Health Organization, the rash takes the following form in monkeypox:
The rash begins 1 to 3 days after a fever
The appearance of the rash most often begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body
The rash is most severe on the face (95% of cases) and on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (75%).
In about 10 days the rash develops from macular papules (lesions with flat bases) to vesicles (small fluid-filled blisters) and pustules followed by crusts that may take up to 3 weeks to disappear completely
See the attached picture that shows what the monkeypox rash looks like
Monkeypox rash (Source: UKHSA)
Tomato flu rash
The rash in tomato flu is red, and tomato-like red blisters occur.
Tomato flu rash (Shutterstock)
rash in eczema
Dermatitis, eczema is a general term that describes an inflammation of the skin tissue. Symptoms of dermatitis may include some or all of the following:
itchy skin
rash
swelling
redness
Peel
drought
crack
Ulcer "blister" (blister)
Corona rash
According to the World Health Organization, a rash is one of the least common symptoms of corona, and it includes the appearance of a rash or a change in the color of the fingers or toes.
According to The ZOE Health Study, there are 3 main types of rashes associated with COVID-19:
urticaria
erythematous maculopapular rash (described as a red bumpy rash) or vesicular erythema (described as a chickenpox-like rash)
swollen fingers
Urticaria
This rash can appear very early in the infection, but it can also persist for a long time afterward, when the patient is not contagious.
The rash appears as sudden, raised calluses on the skin that appear and disappear very quickly over a period of hours and are usually very itchy.
It can include any part of the body.
If it affects the face it can cause swelling of the lips and eyelids.
The eruption may also begin with intense itching in the palms of the hand or the soles of the feet.
It is usually treated with antihistamines.
If the patient has a swollen lip, it is important to ensure that there is no difficulty in breathing or wheezing as this needs urgent medical attention.
Urticaria in the lips as a result of Corona (The Zoe Health Study)
Erythemato-papular or erythemato-vesicular rash
An erythema-papular rash (described as a red rash) or an erythematous-vesicular rash (a rash that looks like chickenpox) is different from urticaria in that it lasts for days or weeks.
They appear in the form of red areas that may appear anywhere on the body, but they prefer the elbows and knees, as well as the back of the hands and feet.
A rash in a corona patient (The Zoe Health Study)
COVID fingers and toes
This is the most specific rash as there are not many other skin diseases found this way.
It is known as chilblains and was relatively rare before Covid-19, as it was seen mainly during cold episodes and in people who had some blood circulation problems in the fingers or toes.
However, at the onset of the Covid virus, dermatologists started noticing this type of rash more than usual and in warm weather that seemed very unusual.
COVID Fingers and Toes (The Zoe Health Study)
When it comes to monkeypox, go back to history
Coming back to the topic of monkeypox, Anjana Ahuja says in the British Financial Times that mass vaccination against smallpox may not be necessary, but not doing it is not an option in cases of the virus, and that going back to history when it comes to monkeypox is necessary.
In her account of the history of this smallpox, she said that he was called the "angel of death" and killed millions and left survivors disfigured because of "small pimples" or blisters on the skin, and smallpox, which was named in the 15th century (smallpox) to distinguish it from "large smallpox", which is syphilis , officially in 1980 after a global vaccination campaign.
She noted that the smallpox vaccine is now being used again to combat an unusual outbreak of monkeypox, a milder disease caused by a related virus.
As of May 22, the World Health Organization has recorded more than 250 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox in the largest outbreak seen outside West and Central Africa, where the disease is endemic.
She said the smallpox vaccine, marketed as Jynneos or Imvanex, is also licensed for monkeypox and offers a good degree of protection.
She said the virus first occurred in monkeys in 1958 and in humans in 1970, and belongs to the family of DNA viruses called orthopoxviruses.
West African viral family
There are two main branches or branches of the virus: the current outbreak is from the West African virus family, which is fatal in 1% of cases, rather than from the Central African (or Congo Basin) family, which can kill up to 10%.
Children and the immunocompromised, including pregnant women, are most at risk.
She noted that early symptoms of infection include fever, aches, chills and fatigue.
Subsequently, a rash on the face, genitals and extremities.
The pus-filled granules swell, which dry and fall off.
In general, the disease goes away on its own after 2 to 4 weeks.
She stressed that the virus is not usually transmitted quickly, as it mostly spreads through skin-to-skin contact or through contaminated bedding, clothing or utensils.
Family members and so-called "sexual partners" are most at risk.
The writer said that vigilance, not panic, is the appropriate slogan currently, and that the monkeypox virus is endemic in countries where it is constantly spread in animals, most of which are African rodents such as prairie dogs and mice, and is transmitted to people through bites, scratches or dealing with bushmeat.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has warned that the current human outbreak could make its way to animals in non-endemic countries, where human-to-animal 'spills' create new viral reservoirs.