A Texas man recently died and had monkeypox — an investigation is ongoing to determine the role the virus had in the man's death.
On Tuesday, Texas reported the first death in a severely immunocompromised person who was diagnosed with monkeypox, according to state health department officials.
According to experts, monkeypox is described as painful, and often presents with a rash. Other common symptoms include fever, chills, head and muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy.
The virus can last two to four weeks, and spreads through close contact with someone who is infected, according to the CDC.
“Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner, said in a press release from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
“We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease.”
According to The New York Post and Reuters, over 90 countries where monkeypox is not endemic — or native — have reported over 470,000 cases. Countries reporting monkeypox deaths include Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India and Spain, according to Reuters.
As a result, the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.
Scott Pauley — a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — says that, while painful, the virus is not generally fatal, including cases caused by the variant of the virus now circulating in the United States – Clade IIb.
According to the CDC, anyone can become infected with monkeypox, which spreads through close contact with an infected person. However, nearly all of the more than 18,101 monkeypox cases in the United States have occurred among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
The case of the adult in Texas who died is still under investigation to see what role monkeypox played in the death, in the recent press release.
Pauley said in an email that the agency is aware of the reported death.
“CDC continues to closely monitor the monkeypox outbreak and we are actively working with Texas officials to investigate this situation,” he said.
“Until the investigation is complete, it is premature to assign a specific cause of death.”
