A man who resided in Los Angeles has become the first American confirmed to have died from monkeypox, the Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday. According to the statement, the individual, who has not been publicly identified, was “severely immunocompromised” following their hospitalization as they fought the viral bug.
“Public Health sends heartfelt condolences and wishes of healing to the family and friends mourning the loss of their loved one,” the statement continued, further mentioning that no further details would be shared pertaining to the man’s death.“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.”
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A previous case emerged back in August when another person in Texas had died of similar circumstances, though the investigation that was performed on the casualty failed to determine whether monkeypox was actually to blame for their death. Texas Department of State Health Services claimed that the victim had contracted the virus at some point, but failed to declare what role the disease played in their sudden passing, making the latest incident the first time that U.S. officials have actually recorded someone dying “due to monkeypox.”
According to the CDC, there were a whopping 18,100 cases of monkeypox by late August, and while the infection isn’t considered to be fatal for most people, some are said to have faced severe symptoms that have left them feeling ill for days on end.
Those who are said to be at risk of contracting monkeypox include people with weakened immune systems, kids who are under the age of eight, people battling skin conditions such as eczema, and gay men. Monkeypox stems from the same virus as the variola disease, known to cause smallpox on the skin.
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If infected, people are often said to develop a rash on their hands, feet, chest, genitals, face, or mouth, which initially looks like a bunch of blisters before swelling in size. It can take up to four weeks for the pox to clear up from the skin, though scarring from the rash also isn’t uncommon.
Other symptoms people should look out for include swollen lymph nodes, chills, fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fever. Ways in which the CDC says you can prevent catching the disease include limited sexual relationships, avoiding close contact whenever possible, especially those who have a rash — and refrain from contact with objects used by people who may have already contracted the bug.