The first monkeypox death in the United States has been documented in Texas.
According to reports the deceased, a resident of Harris County, was severely immunocompromised.
“Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems,” said the Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner, Dr. John Hellerstedt, in an Aug. 30 press release. “We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease.”
The DSHS says monkeypox is a painful infection. They made clear though that the disease is not life-threatening for most people.
“The case is under investigation to determine what role monkeypox played in the death,” the DSHS stated.
DSHS has advised that Monkeypox is preventable if those at risk of exposure avoid intimate contact with an infected person. Contact includes skin-to-skin contact, avoiding “large crowds where people are wearing minimal clothing, such as nightclubs, festivals, raves, saunas, and bathhouses,” and not sharing “cups, utensils, bedding or towels with someone who is sick.”
The death is the first known of a monkeypox-infected person in the United States.
“We are sharing this information to err on the side of transparency and to avoid potential misinformation about this case,” Harris County Judge Lina Hildalgo said in a statement.
With 1,600 cases in Texas, the fourth highest number of documented cases behind California, New York, and Florida. Around 18,100 cases in total have been documented in the United States.
The Biden administration has declared monkeypox a crisis to public health.
“Ending the monkeypox outbreak is a critical priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. We are taking our response to the next level by declaring a public health emergency,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement “With today’s declaration we can further strengthen and accelerate our response further.”
The DHHS announced plans to invest $11 million in the domestic production of a vaccine used to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
Since the monkeypox outbreak, nearly 49,000 cases have been documented globally.
Spain has two documented monkeypox deaths. According to the CDC Spain has been heavily impacted by the outbreak and has documented 6,459 cases of monkeypox. Spain has had the highest death rate outside of Africa.
