Transmission of the monkeypox virus occurs up to four days before any symptoms appear, scientists have discovered. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) researchers said the transmission of monkeypox before symptoms arise might be much more “substantial” than previously thought.
In the first evidence of its kind, their study estimated that more than half (53%) of transmission occurs in the pre-symptomatic phase, meaning many infections cannot be prevented by asking people to isolate themselves after they notice symptoms. The research also has implications for how effective contact tracing can be because, when contacts are traced, they may already have passed the virus on to others.
The new study concluded that people would need to isolate for 16 to 23 days to detect 95% of those with a potential infection. Symptoms of monkeypox vary between people but include rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion and headache.
