First monkeypox death reported in the US in ‘severely immunocompromised’ patient

The first monkeypox-related fatality in the US was verified on Tuesday by Texas authorities. Health officials in Texas announced Monday they are investigating what role monkeypox played in the death of the patient who was diagnosed with the virus. State officials said in a statement that the adult patient was “severely immunocompromised.”

The patient was “severely immunocompromised”

“This is the first death in a presumed positive case for monkeypox that we are aware of. However, the individual had various severe illnesses and until the investigation is complete, it is premature to assign a specific cause of death,” CDC spokesperson Scott Pauley said in a statement.

Local officials said the patient died Sunday in a hospital with “various severe illnesses” in Texas’ Harris County, and that autopsy results are expected “in the next few weeks.” “

We are sharing this information to err on the side of transparency and to avoid potential misinformation about this case,” Lina Hidalgo, Harris County’s top official, said in a statement.

Few cases of monkeypox patient deaths have been reported globally. However, none had been reported thus far in the United States during the current outbreak. As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had tallied 15 deaths around the world in monkeypox patients. 

Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems

There have been 18,100 cases of monkeypox reported in the US thus far. Health authorities’ data suggests that there has recently been a minor slowdown in the number of new illnesses. The majority of infections occur during sexual activity, and the epidemic mostly affects gay and bisexual men.

“Most people who get this form of the disease are likely to survive. However, people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get seriously ill or die,” said Pauley. While many monkeypox patients endure weeks of excruciating rashes and lesions from the virus, officials say deaths remain rare. While many monkeypox patients endure weeks of excruciating rashes and lesions from the virus, officials say deaths remain rare.

The distribution of vaccines has been the main emphasis of the United States’ response to the outbreak

While the CDC says people who are taking treatments for their HIV infections appear not to be experiencing more complications during the current outbreak than other patients, those with uncontrolled HIV may be at higher risk. 

“In my experience, I’ve not seen differences in the clinical manifestation of this particular atypical outbreak between those that are taking medicine to prevent HIV and those that are taking medicine to treat their HIV,” the CDC’s Bruce Furness said.

Early in the outbreak, federal health officials had said that deaths had been seen only in “very immunocompromised” patients a risk authority hoped to blunt with the rollout of vaccines and treatments for the disease. 

The distribution of vaccines has been the main emphasis of the United States’ response to the outbreak. The government has declared that doses will be made accessible exclusively during significant LGBTQ events, including this weekend’s Southern Decadence celebration in New Orleans, two events in Oakland, California, and Atlanta’s “Black Pride.”