Mpox symptoms: 8 signs to look out for as UK hospital traces infectious A&E case

A hospital in the UK has been tracing members of staff and patients after an case was detected in A&E . bosses at Addernbooke's Hospital in Cambridge have been in touch with around 30 patients and 20 members of staff whose contact with the infected individual put them at risk of Mpox after detection last weekend.

A spokesperson for Cambridge University Foundation Trust, which runs Addenbrooke's, said: "We are in contact with around 30 patients and 20 staff as a precautionary measure after a patient with Mpox visited our emergency department on Saturday evening (12 April).

"The aim is to establish factors such as their proximity to the patient which, coupled with known factors like their age and vulnerability, helps determine whether they are offered a vaccine, or given advice around symptoms to look for and what to do.

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"The UK Health Security Agency has been informed and the patient is now isolating at home and under the care of their GP. We would reassure patients who visited A&E on Saturday there is no need to contact us – we will contact them if we think there was any possibility of exposure."

Mpox is an infection most commonly found in parts of central and east Africa. Although the risk of catching it is low for most people in the UK, these are the symptoms to look out for, according to the NHS.

Symptoms of Mpox

If you get infected with Mpox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear. The first symptoms of Mpox include:

• a high temperature (fever)
• a headache
• muscle aches
• backache
• swollen glands
• shivering (chills)
• exhaustion
• joint pain

A rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. It can be on any part of the body, including the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, mouth, genitals and anus. You may also have anal pain or bleeding from your bottom.

The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into sores (ulcers) or small blisters filled with fluid. The blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.

The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks. While you have symptoms, you can pass Mpox on to other people.

Treatment for Mpox

Mpox is usually mild and can get better within a few weeks without treatment, according to the NHS. But if your symptoms are more severe and you become unwell, you will need treatment in hospital. Because the infection can be passed on through close contact, it's important to isolate if you're told to do so.

The risk of needing treatment in hospital is higher for:

• older people
• young children
• people with a condition or who are taking a medicine that affects their immune system