The first documented death from the virus in the US has been linked to monkeypox, according to the county Department of Public Health on Monday. The victim was a resident of Los Angeles County.
The individual had a very compromised immune system and had been hospitalized, according to the agency and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who also confirmed the connection. The department stated in a news release that no other information will be released.
The news release advises severely immunocompromised individuals who believe they have monkeypox to seek medical attention and treatment as soon as possible and to continue receiving care throughout their illness.
The person’s “impaired immune system could not control the virus once it entered his body, the virus. multiplied in an uncontained manner and it likely spread to several organ systems, causing their malfunction,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in an email to CNN.
Monkeypox deaths are exceedingly rare and frequently affect infants, expectant mothers, and persons with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV. Monkeypox caused a person to pass away in Harris County, Texas, last month, although the virus’ involvement in that death has not been established.
.@CDCgov tracks cases and has not confirmed any U.S. deaths from the disease. @lapublichealth officials say they worked with the CDC on their case.https://t.co/QOuAKI8D5Y
— Stefanie Dazio (@steffdaz) September 13, 2022
According to CDC data, there have been nearly 22,000 cases of monkeypox registered in the US this year as of Monday. California has 4,300 cases, which is the most.
According to CDC data, which does not yet reflect the US death, there have been roughly 58,000 cases in this outbreak worldwide and 18 confirmed deaths.
Health officials claim that trends in monkeypox incidence appear to be leveling out, but this shouldn’t cause people to get complacent.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, there is still a negative trend in Europe. “Reported cases from the Americas decreased last week as well, although it’s more difficult to make definitive statements about the pandemic there. There are more cases reported in some American countries than others, and in some, there may be underreporting as a result of shame and discrimination or a lack of information for those who most need it.
He cautioned, “A downward trend can be the most perilous period if it invites complacency.
FAQs
Has a person died from monkeypox?
Monkeypox deaths are exceedingly rare and frequently affect infants, expectant mothers, and persons with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV. Monkeypox caused a person to pass away in Harris County, Texas, last month, although the virus’ involvement in that death has not been established.
Where can you find a monkeypox in the US?
On May 19, 2022, Boston, Massachusetts, recorded the first case. Monkeypox had since spread to all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as of August 22. The majority of instances of monkeypox in the entire world are in the United States.
Why did monkeypox break out in the United States in 2003?
What sparked the U.S. pandemic in 2003? Investigators found that the monkeypox virus entered the United States through a cargo of animals from Ghana that was transported to Texas in April 2003. There were about 800 tiny mammals in the shipment, representing nine different species, six of which were rats.
How many instances of monkeypox have been confirmed in the US?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that cases have been found in every state as of this point. At the end of July, there were 44 states and Washington, D.C.; at the beginning of June, there were 14 states and Washington, D.C. Since the beginning of May, the United States has reported more than 21,000 cases in total.