- Spain has reported the first two deaths linked to monkeypox.
- These are the first deaths recorded in Europe.
- According to the WHO, the number of infections with monkeypox is increasing worldwide.
The two men died on Friday and Saturday in hospitals in the Valencia region and in Cordoba, Spanish health authorities said. Both patients had been hospitalized with encephalitis caused by the infection.
The deaths could possibly be due to previous illnesses. However, it was unclear in both cases whether concomitant diseases were present. The newspaper “El País” wrote that the medical institute “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” in Madrid would examine tissue samples to better understand the cause of the deaths.
Spain is one of the countries most affected by monkeypox in the world. According to the latest report from the Spanish Center for Health Emergencies, released on Saturday, 3,750 people are currently suffering from monkeypox in the country, and 120 of them are being treated in hospital. 4298 are said to have been infected so far.
Brazil also reported its first possible monkeypox-related death on Friday. The Ministry of Health in Brasília said it was a patient with other diseases.
Over 20,000 cases of monkeypox in around 80 countries
In view of the rapid spread of monkeypox, the WHO declared the highest alert level last weekend. The outbreak is an “emergency of international concern,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The international spread of the infectious disease is unusual. So far, it has essentially been limited to six African countries.
According to the most recent recording, there were almost 23,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide. The Europe region is particularly affected with more than 14,000 cases, 272 of which were in Switzerland by Friday.