US monkeypox patient dies, in what may be the country’s first such fatality
- An autopsy is under way to determine if the virus was the cause of death
- The patient was severely immunocompromised and suffered from several serious illnesses
Texas health officials are seeking to determine if monkeypox led to the death of an adult in Harris County – the first such fatality in the US if it is confirmed.
“At this time, the patient’s cause of death is unknown,” county officials said in a statement. “Harris County Public Health is collaborating with partners to determine what role, if any, monkeypox may have played in this person’s death.”
An autopsy is under way, and results will be available in a few weeks, the county said. The person suffered from several serious illnesses and was “severely immunocompromised”, officials said.
The monkeypox virus, which can cause painful sores and lesions all over the body, can be serious but is not often life-threatening. However, immunocompromised people are at higher risk of serious infection.
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So far, there have been no deaths recorded among the more than 18,000 monkeypox cases in the US, the most of any country globally.
