Health officials in Texas announced on Tuesday that a monkeypox patient who was immunocompromised had passed away. If monkeypox was the factor, this would be the first known of the virus-related fatality in the United States.
According to the health authority, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined the case and determined that the death was caused by a monkeypox virus. Studies have shown that monkeypox is a dangerous disease, especially for individuals with weakened immune systems.
According to the health department’s statement, “The the patient was an adult Harris County resident who was extremely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized.” The statement reads, “Additional information about this matter will not be made public to safeguard confidentiality and privacy.” People who are severely immunocompromised are advised to get medical attention as soon as they suspect they have monkeypox and to continue receiving treatment throughout their ailment.
Research has shown that Children under the age of 8, people with a history of eczema, pregnant or nursing women, and immunocompromised people in general are at higher risk of acquiring severe monkeypox infections than the general public.
Monkeypox is mainly transmitted by close, intimate contact, such as kissing or hugging an infected person or coming into contact with their bedding or towels. Although the virus can infect anyone, males who have had intercourse with other guys have been the majority of those who have fallen ill thus far.
Along with flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, muscle pains, and respiratory symptoms, symptoms of the rash can occasionally be unpleasant or itchy and resemble pimples or blisters.
Although the majority of monkeypox sufferers fully recover without the need for medical care within two to four weeks, the CDC advises speaking with your healthcare provider if you experience any monkeypox symptoms, even if you don’t believe you had contact with someone who has the disease. They also suggests reporting any close contacts who may have been exposed and staying home alone if you have monkeypox until the rash has subsided and a new layer of skin has developed.
The CDC reports that as of Monday 12th September, almost 58,000 cases of monkeypox have been documented worldwide, with roughly 57,500 of those cases occurring in areas where monkeypox has not previously spread . Nearly 22,000 instances have been documented in the U.S. alone, with 4,300 of those cases occurring in California, according to the EPA.
Around the world, at least 18 people have died from monkeypox, including 10 in areas where it is common and 8 in areas where it is not. (It is unknown if the L.A. resident’s death has been added to the death toll; however, as of Tuesday (Sept. 13), the fatality had not yet been noted on the CDC’s main home page for monkeypox.
According to STAT, those who contract monkeypox may experience pulmonary discomfort, inflammation of the lungs’ air sacs (bronchopneumonia), or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) as a result of the virus . Other cases of monkeypox death have been linked to secondary bacterial infections and sepsis, a serious immunological reaction that results in widespread organ damage and inflammation.
It has also been noted from STAT that doctors have not yet confirmed if all of the victims of the current outbreak of monkeypox died from the same proximate cause, such as respiratory distress or sepsis. If and when more information about each death is made publicly available or reported in academic studies, this might become evident.