Monkeypox is the latest emerging germ to alarm public health experts, with over 4,000 reported cases globally this year, including at least 300 in the U.S. While this viral illness may not be as fast-spreading as covid-19, it’s threatening to shift from a zoonotic disease, rarely spread from rodents, to something that regularly jumps between humans from here on out, perhaps predominantly as a sexually transmitted infection.
Monkeypox’s most distinctive symptoms are the contagious bumpy rashes that form a week or two after exposure, which can last for up to a month. But unfortunately, rashes and odd skin growths can occur for any number of reasons. So for those of us who might get understandably paranoid about seeing new bumps show up on our skin these days, here’s a rundown of eight rashy conditions that aren’t monkeypox.
And for reference, here’s what actual monkeypox looks like:
