The symptoms of human infection with the monkeypox virus mainly include the following aspects:

1. Symptoms during the incubation period: The incubation period of monkeypox is generally 5 – 21 days, mostly 6 – 13 days. There are usually no obvious symptoms during this stage.
2. Symptoms in the early stage of the disease:
   • Fever: It is a common first – appearing symptom. The body temperature is mostly above 38.5 °C and may last for 1 – 3 days. The body temperature of child patients may be even higher.
   • Headache: There is pain in the whole head or a local area, which may be continuous or intermittent.
   • Muscle pain: The muscles of the whole body, especially those in the back and limbs, experience soreness and weakness, affecting daily activities.
   • Fatigue: The body is tired, the mental state is poor, and one easily feels weak and powerless, and it cannot be relieved even after sufficient rest.
   • Lymph node enlargement: Most patients will have enlarged lymph nodes in areas such as the neck, armpits, and groin. The enlarged lymph nodes feel hard and may be tender to the touch.
3. Symptoms during the rash stage:
   • Time of rash appearance: The rash usually appears 1 – 3 days after the onset of the disease.
   • Location of rash: It first appears on the face and gradually spreads to the limbs and other parts. It may appear on the palms, soles, oral mucosa, digestive tract, genitals, conjunctiva, cornea, etc.
   • Morphological changes of the rash: The rash undergoes stage – by – stage changes from macules, papules, vesicles, pustules to scabs. Macules are flat red or pink spots; papules are small, slightly raised, and firm bumps; vesicles are small blisters filled with clear fluid; pustules are formed when the fluid in the vesicles becomes cloudy and forms pus; finally, scabs form, and after the scabs fall off, erythema or pigmentation may remain, and some may leave scars.

It should be noted that monkeypox is a self – limiting disease, and most cases have mild symptoms. However, for young children, pregnant women, and people with low immune function, if treatment is not timely, severe cases or death may occur. If the above symptoms appear and there is a suspected exposure history, one should immediately seek medical attention for isolation and treatment.