First monkeypox death in the US confirmed
LOS ANGELES (CBS) -- The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed the first death due to monkeypox from a county resident. According to LADPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who combined for an investigation into the cause of the individual's death, the person was "severely immunocompromised and had been hospitalized."
An investigation into the person's death was launched on Thursday after the county confirmed its first death of someone who had a monkeypox diagnosis.
"To protect confidentiality and privacy, additional information on this case will not be made public," the agency said.
It is the second known death of a person with monkeypox in the United States, after an individual in Texas also died with the virus.
As of Friday, there were 4,302 cases of monkeypox in California, 1,692 of which were reported in Los Angeles.
Dr. Rita Singhal, Chief Medical Officer for the County Health Department, said last week that, worldwide, there have been "seven confirmed deaths among monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries."