Experts have warned Brits to look out for a little-known sign of the deadly mpox strain that is ‘widely missed’.
Although the virus is commonly known for its boil-like lesions, there is a lesser known symptom that occurs in the early stages and is often mistaken for other less serious illnesses.
Swollen glands or lymph nodes are usually an indication of a common infection, such as a cold or tonsillitis.
However, London-based pharmacist Abbas Kanani said this could be the first sign of mpox clade 1b, which experts have called “the most dangerous yet.”
The mutation kills one in ten infected people and is thought to be the cause of a wave of miscarriages.
Swollen glands in the neck, groin and armpits are caused by the virus due to their role in fighting infections.
When a virus attacks, our fighting cells – white blood cells – rush to the lymph nodes to defend the body, causing the glands to swell.
Mr Kanani said: ‘Swollen glands or lymph nodes can often be mistaken for other causes and are not always clearly visible, especially if there is mild swelling or if it is located deep in the body.’
Mpox causes characteristic lumpy lesions, as well as fever, pain and fatigue. However, in a small number of cases it can enter the blood, lungs and other parts of the body, where it becomes life-threatening.
It comes as a fifth case of the life-threatening mpox strain has been discovered in Britain.
This now brings the total number of confirmed cases in Britain to five. The unidentified patient, from Leeds, had no links to the previous four cases.
The disease is currently spreading across Central Africa and has killed at least a thousand people since the outbreak began.
Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo have been hit particularly hard, with cases also seen in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.
Abbas Kanani, chief pharmacist at Chemist Click, explained other common early symptoms of the infection, including high temperature, muscle aches and joint pain.
The telltale rash usually appears on the face between one and five days after the first symptoms, he said The sun.
The rash, which appears as raised spots and small blisters filled with fluid, can be mistaken for chickenpox, Kanani warns.
It can spread to other parts of the body, including the mouth, genitals and anus, and in some cases can cause anal bleeding and pain.
Experts say the death rate of clade 1b from central Africa is unlikely to be repeated in developed countries such as Britain, due to greater access to higher quality healthcare.
Britain’s five cases mean the country joins countries such as the US, Sweden, Thailand, India and Germany in cases outside Africa.
Current MPOX vaccines, which are designed to work against smallpox, a close relative of the MPOX virus, were used against the milder variant during the 2022 outbreak.
But they have yet to be widely tested against the more potent clade 1b strain.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the NHS recommend a vaccine within four days of contact with someone who has the virus or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms.
Healthcare workers and men who have sex with men are advised to get a vaccine even if they have not had exposure to MPox.
There are no immediate treatments available with clinicians instead focusing on supporting a patient to help their body fight the virus.