Texas confirms first Monkeypox death

The death of a Texas man who was diagnosed with Monkeypox has become the first person in the United States to die of the disease during the 2022 global outbreak, state officials say.

Without identifying the person on Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said the man had been “severely immunocompromised” prior to his death and that an investigation “to determine what role monkeypox played” is ongoing.

It remains unclear how old the individual, from Harris County, was or when he contracted Monkeypox.

The disease has so far infected more than 18,000 people in the United States since May, according to figures from the US Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), with 1,604 recorded in Texas.

Although over 47,600 people have contracted Monkeypox globally, only five countries have confirmed deaths in addition to the US – Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India and Spain, according to the World Health Organisation.

Gay and bisexual men (or men who have sex with men) represent the vast majority of infections in countries where Monkeypox is not endemic (meaning those outside of central and west Africa). Anybody can contract Monkeypox by coming into close skin-to-skin contact with an infected individua, however.

In the US, where cases have reportedly begun to plateau in some cities and states, Black and Hispanic people have been disproportionately exposed to the risks of Monkeypox, according to CDC figures reported on by USA Today, showing a third of Monkeypox cases being among Black people despite representing 12 per cent of the population.

In comparison, Hispanics and Latinos represent about 32 per cent of all Monkeypox cases reported in the US but make up about 19 per cent of the population.

Main symptoms of the disease include fever, chills and a headache before the onset of a painful rash – typically in the area around the groin, anus or face and mouth – which scabs and falls off, the CDC says.

“Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems,” said Dr John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner, in a statement regarding the Texas death. “We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease.”

As with governments elsewhere, the Biden administration has faced criticism for an initially slow response to the Monkeypox outbreak and earlier this month announced plans to make 1.8m doses of a vaccine available by reducing the amount of dosage needed, after tests showed equal effectiveness.

In Europe, where countries have also struggled with securing vaccine supplies, the WHO’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters on Tuesday that the virus could be eliminated from the continent with a “step up” in efforts to educate and vaccinate those most at risk.

“We believe we can eliminate sustained human-to-human transmission of monkeypox in the (European) region,” said Mr Kluge, adding: “We do have some pretty good anecdotal evidence that people - particularly men who have sex with men who are in particular risk groups - are much more informed about the disease.”

In recent weeks, health experts in the US have voiced fears about the disease becoming endemic should cases be reported amoongst domestic and wild animals, including those at the Boston University School of Public Health.