Jul 29, 2022 - Health

Spain, Brazil report first monkeypox-related deaths outside of Africa in current outbreak

Herb Scribner

the word Monkeypox is seen on a screen of a smartphone. — Monkeypox is seen on a screen of a smartphone. Photo: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Spain and Brazil both reported their first monkeypox-related deaths Friday, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: These are the first two deaths related to monkeypox outside of Africa during the current outbreak. The death in Spain is the first in Europe, while Brazil's is the first in South America.

Details: The Spanish Health Ministry did not provide further details on the one death.

The ministry said Friday that the country had 4,298 confirmed cases of monkeypox with 120 hospitalized patients, per Reuters.
Brazilian officials said one man died from monkeypox-related causes. The 41-year-old man had lymphoma and a weakened immune system, too, Reuters reports.
The Pan American Health Organization said Brazil has at least 978 confirmed cases.

State of play: Before Friday, the World Health Organization said there had been five monkeypox-related deaths this year, all of them happening in Africa where the disease has been spreading for decades.

The United States has not reported any deaths so far. There have been 4,907 cases of monkeypox as of Friday, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Friday called on the Biden administration to declare a public health emergency over monkeypox.

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Spain, Brazil report first monkeypox-related deaths outside of Africa in current outbreak

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