Monkeypox: First deaths outside Africa in Brazil and Spain

Monkeypox: First deaths outside Africa in Brazil and Spain

The first deaths from monkeypox have been reported in Brazil and Spain.

The virus killed a 41-year-old man in Brazil, making him the first victim outside of Africa. Soon later, Spain declared its first death, which was also the first in all of Europe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of monkeypox a global health emergency last week. However, infections are typically minor, and there is little risk to the general public.

So far, 1,066 confirmed cases and 513 probable cases of the virus have been recorded in Brazil thus far. More than 98 per cent of confirmed cases, according to data from Brazil’s health ministry, involved men who had sex with other men.

The first death caused by the virus in Europe was confirmed shortly after by Spain’s health ministry.

One person had died and 120 people, or 3.2%, of the 3,750 monkeypox patients with information, were hospitalised, according to a report. It didn’t provide any more details on the victim.

There are 21,148 cases worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, but it is considerably less dangerous and there is little possibility of contracting it, according to specialists.

It typically occurs in isolated regions of central and western African nations, close to tropical rainforests.

Health officials advise giving vaccines to those most at risk of contracting the virus, such as some gay and bisexual men and some healthcare workers.

The WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated last week that designating the epidemic as a global health emergency would hasten the creation of vaccines and the adoption of strategies to stop the virus’s spread.

According to Dr Tedros, there is a low risk of monkeypox worldwide but a significant danger in Europe.

Nevertheless, he continued, “this outbreak may be controlled with the appropriate approaches in the right populations.” The WHO is making recommendations in the hopes that they will encourage nations to take steps to halt the virus’s spread and safeguard those who are most vulnerable.

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