DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjmcr.2025.v13i06.043

Pages: 1475-1479

Monkeypox is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by a DNA virus, the monkeypox virus. It is transmitted to humans through close contact with infected animals or individuals, as well as contaminated inanimate objects. The disease has an incubation period generally ranging from 7 to 14 days and causes various symptoms such as fever, headache, asthenia, myalgia, generalized body aches, lymph node swelling, and skin lesions. Testing is recommended for anyone meeting the definition of a suspected case. Suitable samples include skin lesion swabs, exudates, crusts, or other skin material. Laboratory confirmation relies on nucleic acid amplification tests, such as real-time or conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection is confirmed by considering clinical and epidemiological information. A positive detection using an orthopoxvirus (OPXV) PCR test, followed by specific confirmation of MPXV through PCR and/or sequencing, or direct MPXV detection by PCR in suspected cases, confirms the diagnosis. We report the case of a 30-year-old man from Senegal, residing in Morocco for several years, heterosexual. He presented to the emergency department with a generalized skin rash. Dermatological examination revealed vesiculopustular lesions with an umbilicated center on healthy skin, located on the face, abdomen, back, palms, and genital area, accompanied by asthenia and myalgia. These symptoms appeared seven days after unprotected sexual intercourse. PCR testing on pustule fluid was positive for monkeypox virus (MPXV), confirming the diagnosis of monkeypox.