As is common with most health warnings, monkeypox He has already generated enough hoaxes around him. One of them says that this is a sexually transmitted disease that is common only among homosexual men. Naturally, this creates a very dangerous stigma, so many people began to deny it. But there’s nothing worse than refute a hoax with another hoax. This is exactly what a doctor recently did when he tweeted a photo of an alleged monkeypox patient who turned out to have another disease known as neurofibromatosis.
The picture shows only the legs of the alleged patient, but with a very recognizable tattoo. For this reason, the man did not take long to denounce that his image was published. without your consent and make statements about him that are not true. Now, because of this confusion, the man is afraid that he will be infected for his disease, which has nothing to do with monkeypox. Actually, it’s not even an infectious disease. Although the truth is, soon injuries can be confused.
And this applies not only to neurofibromatosis. Also with others, of different origins, though the most contagious. We will see some of them, but always remember that we must not stigmatize anyone, even those who have monkeypox. They, of course, need to be isolated at home while they are contagious. Therefore, if we see someone with injuries, it would be logical to think that this is something else, since the sick must be isolated. Well, it’s true that the coronavirus pandemic has robbed us of faith in humanity, and this ideal situation may not come. But the solution is not to take pictures of strangers, we also need to be clear about that.
Neurofibromatosis, a disease that has been confused with monkeypox.
neurofibromatosis This is a genetic disease that causes the appearance of numerous tumors in the nervous tissue.
There are three types: type 1, type 2 and schwannomatosis. The first includes a large number of skin symptoms, such as light brown non-relief spots, freckles in the armpits and groin, or benign tumors that manifest as pea-sized bumps located all over the skin. These are the bumps that were seen on the leg of a man who appeared in a viral photo without eating or drinking it.
Because this happens when patients are children, it can also cause learning problems. In addition, patients may be shorter or have a larger head than usual.
Neurofibromatosis type 2 has many more symptoms, such as ringing in the ears, numbness of the extremities, headache, hearing loss, seizures, or difficulty with balance. However, it may also be accompanied by benign tumors which from a distance can be confused with lesions of monkeypox.
Finally, schwannomatosis appears later in life, between the ages of 25 and 30, and usually causes chronic pain, muscle loss and numbness.
Chickenpox, a disease that must disappear
Today, most adults get chickenpox because we didn’t have a vaccine when we were kids. In Spain, it was included in the vaccination schedule for children in 2016, so it is expected that the number of cases will gradually decrease.
But some can still be seen. it’s a disease very contagious for those who have not yet passed it or are not vaccinated, isolation is therefore also recommended.
The skin lesions may be similar, although with the difference that it is very characteristic of monkeypox that they appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. With chickenpox, it can also be, but rarely. Another hallmark is that in monkeypox, the lymph nodes become inflamed, although, of course, this is not visible to the naked eye.
Chickenpox is caused herpes zoster virus and once the illness is over, it doesn’t go away. It remains dormant in the nerves and may be reactivated in the future, causing radicular ganglion neuropathy, known colloquially as culverin. In this case, blisters also appear, although they are easier to recognize; because instead of spreading throughout the body, they usually appear as a ring. For example, they often form around the trunk, although they can form anywhere else.
Scabies: if it itches a lot, it’s not monkeypox
scabies or scabies skin disease caused by a parasite Sarcoptes scabies.
Its visible manifestation is the appearance of small pimples and blisters that can appear throughout the body, but especially on areas with skin foldssuch as the wrists, elbows, armpits, or between the fingers or toes.
Its main difference from monkeypox is that causes severe itching. This is especially intensified with heat and at night. So if we see someone itching a lot, it’s probably not monkeypox. Although this does not mean that it is not contagious, as it is also quite contagious when rubbing the skin of sick people.
Measles is a disease that should be less frequent
Unlike the smallpox vaccine, which was removed from the vaccination schedule after the disease was eradicated from humans, measles it remains available in all developed countries. And, with a lot of effort, in a good part of those that develop. The latter, in fact, do not cause disgust for the vaccine.
But hoaxes anti-vaccination led to a resurgence of measles in this more developed part of the world. For this reason, although we should not suspect this disease, if we see someone with skin lesions, it may be.
In his case, it also manifests itself with fever and malaise, like monkeypox. And this also includes injuries that can be confused from afar. But they show a big difference, since only with measles some spots with white centerknown as Koplik spots
Syphilis: sexually transmitted
Some say monkeypox is a sexually transmitted infection. However, most experts disagree with this statement. And the fact is that although this route of infection can be considered, it is by no means the main route.
In contrast, syphilis, transmitted by bacteria pale treponemaYes, it is a sexually transmitted infection. It starts as one sick from the side in contact with the pathogen. Usually this vulva, penis, vagina, or anus. However, if treatment is not started on time, skin lesions can appear throughout the body, including the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. In addition, the glands may swell. Perhaps this can lead to confusion with monkeypox, but we must remember that its onset is different.
It usually doesn’t go any further, but in some cases it can get very complicated and even cause death. Fortunately, since this is a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotics and fail the first step. This is as long as the bacteria are sensitive to them. That’s why it’s so important to monitor your intake to avoid resistance.
In short, there are many eye diseases that (especially if it is an untrained eye) can be confused with monkeypox. Luckily, there are very specific and sensitive tests that help us to distinguish one from the other. For this reason, we must allow professionals to diagnose and prescribe treatment. We can avoid social media embarrassment. But above all, we can spare someone the public accusation they don’t deserve.
Source: Hiper Textual
