Texas Reports First Monkeypox Death in US

Texas has confirmed the first death of a person with monkeypox, which may be the first fatality from the virus in the United States.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Tuesday that the person was an adult resident of Harris County, Texas, who was “severely immunocompromised” and that it is investigating what role monkeypox had in the person’s death.

“Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, the department commissioner. “We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not reported any monkeypox deaths in the U.S. in its database. Jennifer McQuiston, the CDC’s monkeypox response incident manager, told reporters Tuesday that additional investigation is needed to determine what role monkeypox “may or may not have played” in the death of the individual in Texas.

“It’s our understanding this patient also had underlying health conditions and had a number of things going on,” McQuiston said.

Monkeypox is rarely a life-threatening disease but can cause painful symptoms, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. Symptoms of monkeypox generally involve fever, chills, and a rash of some type that may scab before healing or look like blisters that are painful or itchy.

As of last Thursday, over 46,000 cases of monkeypox have been identified globally in 98 countries, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told reporters. In the U.S., over 17,000 cases have been confirmed across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Reporting from The Washington Examiner.

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