1st U.S. monkeypox death confirmed in Los Angeles County

monkeypox photo
(Image credit: Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images)

The Department of Public Health for Los Angeles County confirmed the first U.S. death associated with the monkeypox virus on Monday, CNN reports.

The case was confirmed in a news release from the department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The statement said that the person was hospitalized and had a compromised immune system and that they would not publicly release any further details concerning the case.

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Fatal cases of monkeypox are rare and tend to affect babies, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems. Last month a person with monkeypox in Texas died, but whether or not the virus was culpable remains unconfirmed, CNN reports.

CDC data shows that nearly 22,000 cases of probable monkeypox have been reported in the U.S., and California has logged the highest number of patients at 4,300. Of the 58,000 infections reported globally, 18 fatal cases have been confirmed. While trends in monkeypox cases seem to be on a decline, health officials warn against complacency.

Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.