What Does Monkeypox Look Like? Man Documents Day-By-Day Account Of Rash [Photos]

As monkeypox now reaches over 38,000 cases worldwide, hitting over 93 countries, educating the public on the disease has become a public effort as has been evidenced by a Houston man's account on social media.

The man, who goes by Silver Steele, on social media, took to Instagram to document his experience after he contracted monkeypox. Steele, who was looking to spread awareness about the symptoms of the disease, shared a day-by-day timeline of what a monkeypox rash looks like to help educate the public about the virus.

The photos, which were posted to his account, show graphic lesions that developed around his mouth over a three-week period. He showed day-by-day how the lesions progressed as well as healed in the post.

Steele said in the post that his "goal with this is not to gross anyone out, but to educate."

Steele also said that his case was a "clinically perfect" example of monkeypox and was being used in demonstrations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in medical journals.

Steele, who now posts educational information about monkeypox on his Instagram account, contracted the disease in July. He told his followers that his symptoms did not appear for seven to eight days after being exposed to the virus in the comments of his post, adding to others that he had flu-like symptoms that lasted for maybe 48 hours.

The lesions that Steele developed were painful, as has been described by the CDC as a symptom of monkeypox. Other symptoms of the virus include fever, fatigue, malaise, headache, muscle aches, and chills. These symptoms are typically followed by a rash that can appear on the hands, feet, mouth, genitals, and anus that can also spread to other parts of the body.

Monkeypox is predominantly contracted through close, personal contact, including direct contact with the monkeypox rash, bodily fluids, respiratory secretions, or contaminated materials such as bedding, towels, or clothing.

Steele ended his post by saying, "Tomorrow I see my doctor to get the 'all-clear' and get a haircut so I can feel human again! Feel free to share this image. Spread the word, not the virus." He also got the monkeypox vaccine and is advocating for others to do the same.

As of Wednesday, there have been 12,689 cases of monkeypox reported in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The World Health Organization this week has asked the public to find a new name for monkeypox, due to the stigmatization of the word.