Monkeypox virus, illustration.
Thom Leach | Science Photo Library | Getty Images
Texas health officials said Tuesday that a person diagnosed with monkeypox died in what may be the nation’s first-known fatality from the virus.
The patient was an adult with a severely compromised immune system who lived in the Houston area, health officials said. The case is under investigation to determine what role monkeypox played in the individual’s death, officials said.
Monkeypox has generally not been in fatal in the current outbreak, though patients develop a rash that can cause excruciating pain. However, people with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe disease
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