First U.S. Monkeypox Death Confirmed in California
TUESDAY, Sept. 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Monkeypox was the cause of death in a Los Angeles County adult last week, public health officials confirmed Tuesday.
This is the first known death from monkeypox to be reported in the United States.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the patient had been hospitalized and had a severely weakened immune system.
"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 department said in a news release.
California has had the most monkeypox cases in the country, with 4,300 out of 22,000 probable or confirmed cases nationwide, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Babies, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as from HIV, are more vulnerable to the virus, though deaths are extremely rare.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., told CNN 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.”
Cause of death for a monkeypox patient in Harris County, Texas, has not been confirmed as monkeypox.
Although there have been nearly 58,000 cases and 18 confirmed deaths globally, monkeypox cases appear to be slowing in some areas, CNN reported.
"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 increasing number of cases and in some there is likely to be underreporting due to stigma and discrimination or a lack of information for those who need it most," he added.
"A downward trend can be the most dangerous time if it opens the door to complacency," he warned.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the 2022 monkeypox outbreak.
SOURCE: CNN
Related Posts
Los problemas de la visión podrían aumentar las probabilidades de demencia
MIÉRCOLES, 29 de junio de 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Los problemas de la visión...
Fatal Drug Overdose Down With OUD-Related Telehealth Services
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Receipt of opioid use disorder...
Most Americans Face Hassles With Their Insurance Plans, and It’s Harming Care: Poll
THURSDAY, June 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A majority of insured Americans have...
Anticoagulants Do Not Reduce Arterial Thrombotic Event Risk in Cancer
FRIDAY, July 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For ambulatory patients on systemic...