Spain has reported the first monkey pox death in Europe. The Ministry of Health confirmed the death of the first patient in the southern European country as a result of the disease, the newspaper El Mundo said.
Spain is considered to be hard hit by the disease with 4,298 confirmed cases. Of the 3,750 infected individuals for whom information is available, 120 were hospitalized and one died. Most infected persons are male, the average age is 37 years.
Shortly before Spain, Brazil reported its first death from the monkeypox virus. It would be the sixth death in the current monkeypox outbreak and the first outside Africa. The victim was a 41-year-old man who had cancer and a weakened immune system.
The World Health Organization declared monkey pox a global health crisis last week. Those who contract monkey pox can suffer from fever, headache, muscle aches and general malaise. After a few days, a rash with blisters appears on the skin. Usually people don’t get very sick from an infection. The virus currently mainly affects men who have sex with men, but it is not a venereal disease. The virus spreads through skin-to-skin contact, among other things. Anyone can contract the virus.
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