Harris County resident with monkeypox dies, marking first death in the U.S. linked to the virus

by Stephen Neukam, Texas Tribune


An adult Harris County resident who was diagnosed with monkeypox has died, marking the first publicly reported death associated with the virus in the U.S., health officials said Tuesday.

The person was “severely immunocompromised,” Texas Health and Human Services officials said. State health officials cautioned that while the person had the disease, it was still being investigated how that factored into the death. Officials said an autopsy was being performed and they expected the results to be ready in a few weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CBS News that the Texas death is the first linked to the virus that the agency is aware of in the country.

"Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time," a CDC spokesperson said to The Texas Tribune. "It is important to remember that infections with the type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak—the Clade IIb — are rarely fatal. Most people who get this form of the disease are likely to survive."

The agency said until an investigation into the death is complete, "it is premature to assign a specific cause of death."

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/30/Texas-monkeypox-harris-county/