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5 Ways To Distinguish Monkeypox From Chickenpox

Although monkeypox and chickenpox might share some symptoms like fever, rash, body ache and fatigue, there are clear differences that could be spotted when it comes to their lesions, incubation period and transmission.

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Written By: Kinkini Gupta | Updated : June 2, 2022 4:55 PM IST

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The outbreak of a new disease, monkeypox, has created a lot of panic in the world. Although, it is not the same disease as chickenpox, some of the symptoms of these two diseases are very similar. In both the diseases, you can experience a cold, fever, rash, body ache and fatigue. Experts say that the symptoms of the two diseases may be similar especially in the initial days. This can easily confuse anybody, which is why we try to explain the differences here.

Differences Between The Two Viruses

The two diseases are caused by viruses from different families. Chicken pox is caused by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). Don Vinh, an associate professor in the Division of Experimental Medicine at McGill University said in an interview with an Agency that the Varicella Zoster Virus is not of the same family as the virus that causes monkeypox. It is a member of the Herpesviruses family. It has been confirmed that the rashes caused by the two viruses manifest differently on the skin.

Monkeypox, though, belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the Poxviridae family, which is not related to VZV. Monkeypox is a cousin of smallpox. It is a zoonosis, an infection primarily transmitted to humans from animals.

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What Are The Differences In The Skin Lesions?

Although both diseases cause a rash with small blisters, there are differences in the type of rash caused and the distribution of the rash on the skin. Chicken pox affects only one part of the body but Monkeypox can affect the entire. Any person contracting either of the two diseases will be able to tell the difference. Monkeypox also has synchronous lesions all the lesions usually look at the same at any given stage of the disease. The skin lesions caused by the monkeypox virus also look very different from chicken pox. It usually has swollen lymph nodes whitish in color while chickenpox and are not swollen and are usually red.

Transmission Of Monkeypox And Chicken Pox

  • Monkeypox virus may spread from animals to people through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, by handling wild game, or through the use of products made from infected animals.
  • Monkeypox virus can also be transmitted from mother to fetus.
  • The virus may also spread through direct contact with body fluids or sores on an infected person or with materials that have touched body fluids or sores, such as clothing or linens.
  • Chicken pox on the other hand spreads easily from only people with chickenpox to others who have never had the disease or never been vaccinated.
  • If one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.
  • The virus spreads mainly through close contact with someone who has chickenpox.
  • A person who has had chicken pox or is vaccinated rarely gets infected again. Even if they do, their symptoms are less severe.
  • It is important to note here that there are also specific tests that can also distinguish between the two. "DNA amplification techniques such as PCR test can be used to test for these conditions and can help distinguish which virus is causing the rash.

Differences In Other Symptoms

Monkeypox and chicken pox can also be distinguished through these symptoms:

  • Fever: Monkeypox rashes appear 1 to 5 days after the fever while chickenpox rashes appear 1 to 2 days after the fever.
  • Incubation period: The incubation period of monkeypox is from 5 to 21 days while that of chickenpox lasts from 4 to 7 days.

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Kinkini Gupta

Kinkini Gupta

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