The first death from Monkeypox has been reported in the United States as a person with a compromised immune system has died from the disease. The county Department of Public Health said Monday that Monkeypox caused the Los Angeles County resident’s death.
The link between the virus and the man’s death was confirmed by the department and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reportedly the man had a weakened immune system and had to be hospitalized. The department said in a news release no other information would be released to the public.
“Persons severely immunocompromised who suspect they have monkeypox are encouraged to seek medical care and treatment early and remain under the care of a provider during their illness,” the news release says.
CNN was told in an email sent by Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, that the person’s “impaired immune system could not control the virus once it entered his body, the virus multiplied in an uncontained fashion and it likely spread to several organ systems, causing their malfunction.”
According to health officials, the rates of Monkeypox infections seem to stabilize; however, that does not mean it is time to become complacent.
“We’re continuing to see a downward trend in Europe,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week. “While reported cases from the Americas also declined last week, it’s harder to draw firm conclusions about the epidemic in that region. Some countries in the Americas continue to report an increasing number of cases. In some, there is likely to be underreported due to stigma and discrimination or a lack of information for those who need it most.
“A downward trend can be the most dangerous time if it opens the door to complacency,” he warned.
