Date Published: 01/08/2022
ARCHIVED - Spain confirms first monkeypox death in Europe
There are now 4,298 confirmed cases and two fatalities from monkeypox in Spain
Spain is believed to be the first country in Europe to experience a death from monkeypox after reporting two fatalities over the weekend – one on Friday July 19, the same day as Brazil reported its first death, and another on Saturday July 20.
Few details have been released about the Spanish victims, apart from the fact that both are middle-aged men and that at least one is believed to have been caused by encephalitis associated with the infection in the Valencian Community.
The Brazilian was a 41-year-old man with serious immunity problems who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time of his death.
Across the country, 4,298 cases have already been recorded, according to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). Of the 3,750 infected for whom information is available, 120 had to be hospitalised (3.2%).
The global monkeypox outbreak has resulted in more than 22,000 cases in nearly 80 countries since May and is now believed to have caused at least seven fatalities. Africa, particularly Nigeria and Congo, are currently bearing the brunt with 75 deaths from a more lethal strain of the disease.
Worryingly, the data show that monkeypox is advancing among groups other than the one in which it was first detected: men who have sex with men. Although the WHO still reports 98% of cases in this population group, the figure has already dipped to 83.3% in Spain.
Confirmed cases of monkeypox have been detected in Andalucia (498), the Region of Murcia (19) and the Valencian Community (213), along with 14 other regions.
Image: Flickr
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