As scientists attempt to raise awareness of a new strain of mpox reportedly doing the rounds in the UK, one survivor has opened up on one of his most uncomfortable symptoms.
Previously known as monkeypox, this rare infection - predominantly found in areas of central, west and east Africa - is spread from person to person through close physical contact. This is especially the case when it involves skin touching skin, like during sexual contact, kissing and cuddling.
In rarer cases, the transmission could be caused by contact with bodily fluids like saliva and snot, as well as contact with infected clothing, bedding or towels, or prolonged face-to-face contact that involves talking, breathing, coughing or sneezing.
A newly-identified variant of the disease, however, understood to be a 'new recombinant mpox virus', was recorded in an individual who'd recently travelled from Asia to Britain.
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As such, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are attempting to raise awareness of the possible symptoms - these typically include a fever, headache, backache, and muscle aches, which are followed by a skin rash that includes blisters, spots or ulcers around five days later.
"Once infected with mpox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear," Dr Michael Brady, NHS England's LGBT Health advisor previously explained to The Independent.
This said, however, a previous mpox patient has recently lifted the lid on another symptom, which he says inflicted serious pain inside and around his rectum.
Taking to Reddit, the anonymous male user recalled hooking up with a man whilst on a work trip before heading out on a cruise to Mexico.
In the four days that followed, he experienced nausea, lightheadedness, aches, prickly skin, grogginess, a fever, a high temperature.
By day five, he began experiencing pain whilst using the bathroom and itchiness around his derriere.
"Looking back at it now, I was pooping very frequently, three times a day maybe," he wrote. "I chocked that up to the food I was eating on the boat but I realise now that may have been the first symptom."
He recalled on his fourth day of symptoms: "Late that night I realise my asshole itches. Like a lot. I send this text to my buddy. I'm like oh I'm chilling just a hemorrhoid from my Mexican poops I guess."
The day after: "Wake up sweaty again. Asshole itches has now progressed to asshole pain while s**tting.
"There's also a bump on my asshole I presume to be the aforementioned haemorrhoid. I have a Raven Simone style flashback to my sister (epidemiologist at health department in charge of monkeypox cases) telling me that guys with monkeypox are having extreme excruciating ass pain."
After getting himself tested to rule out other STDs, it was determined that he'd contracted the virus.
According to Dr Kathryn Basford, 'men who have sex with men' are highly susceptible of contracting the infection, given that the virus is spread through skin-on-skin contact.
As per the European Vaccination Information Centre, the majority of cases recorded in 2022 were from this group after the virus was found to be spreading disproportionately within their social and sexual networks.
This said, however, it has also been suggested that this could be due to the male LGBTQ+ community being more proactive in seeking sexual health services and testing, leading to a higher rate of diagnosis.
Of the symptoms he endured on day six, the man went on to explain: "No blood in stool yet but there is like a pink tissue in there. Looks to be colon wall lining that's been shed into my poop."
Between day six and day 11, the man experienced further pain when pooping and blood in his stools.
On day 12, however, his symptoms in this arena had begun clearing up. "No more pain while wiping but very slight discomfort while pooping," he recalled of this day. "Not pushing too hard."
By day 15, the man's symptoms had cleared up - apparently, however, he's not the only mpox patient to have experienced a painful behind in the wake of contraction.
"Thank you for sharing," one user reassured him in the comments. "Your story is pretty classic with very severe rectal pain."
Another user, also a male who'd engaged in sex with another man, added: "I didn't get any lesions outside of my body, but I did get what I believe lesions inside my rectum. Then the rectal pain intensified as time went on.
"A week and a half in I was experiencing very severe rectal pain (felt like there was acid inside my butt) - and it was really painful to go to the bathroom. Also would be some blood in stool, and white/clear liquid would come out that would burn like acid when it did."
The other user continued: "The pain lasted a little over two weeks. Around day 11 of the rectal pain or so was when it was the worst. (I am counting from when I first felt the rectal pain which was 5 days or so after exposure). Then it just faded away."
Rhianna Benson