- A person infected with monkeypox, among other illnesses, has died in Texas.
- If confirmed via autopsy, this would be the first death from monkeypox in the US.
A severely immunocompromised adult in Texas was the first person with monkeypox to die in the US, health officials announced Tuesday.
The individual was a resident of Harris County, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a press release. Officials did not disclose the person's age or sex, just that they had "various severe illnesses" as well as a positive monkeypox diagnosis.
The cause of death is still unknown, according to Harris County Public Health. The case is under investigation to determine how monkeypox may have played a role, with autopsy results expected in the upcoming weeks.
"Monkeypox is a serious disease, particularly for those with weakened immune systems," Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner, said in a statement. "We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease."
Of the more than 48,000 cases of monkeypox tallied worldwide, a total of 15 people have died of the infection since January 1, 2022, according to the World Health Organization. Although the sores can be extremely painful, monkeypox is not life-threatening in most cases.
CDC recommends antivirals for high-risk patients
People who have weakened immune systems — either due to medication or certain health conditions — may take antiviral drugs to prevent severe infections with monkeypox at a doctor's recommendation, according to the CDC.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved TPOXX (tecovirimat), an antiviral drug for the treatment of smallpox disease, in 2018 based on animal studies. Since smallpox was eradicated in 1980, scientists decided it wouldn't be ethical to infect people with the disease for drug efficacy trials.
Instead, they infected non-human primates with monkeypox (and rabbits with rabbitpox, another orthopoxvirus) and found that animals that received TPOXX were more likely to survive compared to those that got a placebo. In a recent perspective for the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers urged that the CDC and FDA move ahead with human trials of TPOXX's safety and efficacy in the current outbreak.
The CDC also recommends that individuals with a high risk of monkeypox exposure get vaccinated to prevent infection. Health officials in the US have not recommended the Jynneos vaccine specifically to those with compromised immune systems, and have instead prioritized people with a high risk of exposure (eg. close contacts and people who've had multiple sex partners in the past two weeks).
Immunocompromised people should watch for symptoms
Monkeypox is rarely life-threatening and normally resolves within 2–4 weeks without the need for medical treatment, according to the CDC.
People with monkeypox may develop flu-like symptoms along with with pus-filled boils, Insider previously reported. Some patients have noticed fevers and chills before the rash, while others felt ill after the first pustules appeared or experienced a rash without any other symptoms, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends that people who are immunocompromised — as well as pregnant people, children younger than 8, and those with severe disease or complications — be considered for treatment with TPOXX should they become infected. Serious complications of monkeypox may include sepsis, secondary infections, irregular bleeding, and swelling in the brain.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.