"First Outside Africa"... Monkeypox Deaths Reported in Brazil and Spain

Brazilian Patient's Cause of Death: Sepsis... Already Immunocompromised 'Underlying Condition Patient'
Recent Confirmed Cases' Symptoms Mostly 'Mild'... Majority Recover Naturally Without Treatment

Deaths from monkeypox have occurred in Brazil and Spain. This is the first time deaths have been reported outside the African continent. The photo shows a "Monkeypox Infection Warning" notice displayed on a monitor at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The first death caused by monkeypox virus infection outside the African continent has occurred.

On the 29th (local time), according to foreign media including AP, deaths from monkeypox were reported in Brazil in South America and Spain in Europe.

The Brazilian Ministry of Health announced that a 41-year-old man who was being treated for monkeypox in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state in the south, died that day. The cause of death was sepsis, and the patient’s immune system was already compromised due to lymphoma.

The Spanish Ministry of Health also confirmed one death. The identity and treatment details of the deceased have not been disclosed. Local media reported that this is the first death outside Africa, where monkeypox is endemic.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fatality rate of monkeypox ranges from 1% to 10%. Considering that the fatality rate of COVID-19 varies by country from 0.1% to 5.5% (based on data from Johns Hopkins University in the United States), this is a relatively high figure.

However, it should be noted that the fatality rate of monkeypox may be a special figure observed in limited environments. There have been cases in Central Africa where 10% of monkeypox-infected patients died, but at that time, the region had poor medical conditions and an underdeveloped disease surveillance system.

Recent reports indicate that symptoms of monkeypox currently spreading outside the African continent are generally mild. According to WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many cases of monkeypox resolve naturally.

According to The New York Times (NYT), the medical community is currently analyzing whether the infectiousness or severity of monkeypox has changed compared to the past. No significant mutations that could alter the virus’s characteristics have been observed so far.

However, WHO and CDC urge special caution in infection prevention for newborns, children, and patients with underlying immune-related diseases who have weakened immunity.

Meanwhile, on the 23rd, WHO declared monkeypox, with over 18,000 confirmed cases worldwide, a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)." PHEIC is the highest level of public health alert that WHO can issue, focusing on "preemptive response" rather than the severity of the outbreak pattern.