LA resident first confirmed monkeypox fatality in US

A severely immunocompromised resident of Los Angeles County has died from monkeypox, the Department of Public Health has confirmed.

It is the first known death in the US caused by the virus, which has claimed nearly 20 lives globally, per some media reports.

However, other reports suggest this could be the second monkeypox fatality in the country. Another immunocompromised person from Texas died late last month, but authorities said they were still investigating if monkeypox was the cause.

‘Seek medical care’
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department said in a press release that the person who died Monday from monkeypox had a “severely weakened immune system” and was hospitalized, but refused to divulge any further information.

“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,” the department said.

As of Monday, there have been almost 22,000 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US this year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the maximum number of cases—4,300—in California.