Two deaths related to monkeypox infection have been registered in Spain. The first death was reported on Friday evening, and the Ministry of Health in Madrid reported a second death on Saturday. The Spanish state television broadcaster RTVE and other Spanish media reported that these were also the first monkeypox deaths in Europe.
The ministry wrote that the cases had been reported to the World Health Organization and the European Commission. The state television broadcaster RTVE reported, citing the authorities, that both cases involved young men.
The first death occurred in the Valencia region in eastern Spain. The regional Ministry of Health announced on Friday evening that the death of the patient infected with the monkeypox virus (MPXV) was “caused by infection-related encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).” No further information was initially known about the second death. In a situation report on the current monkeypox outbreak earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded a total of five deaths – all in the African region.
Spain is one of the countries hardest hit by the disease in the world. Of the 4,298 cases of infection recorded across the country so far, only 120 have required hospitalization, it said.
Possible death also in Brazil
Brazil also reported its first possible monkeypox-related death. However, the Ministry of Health in Brasília said it was a patient with other relevant clinical pictures. The case is still under review.
A state of emergency has been declared in San Francisco, California. More vaccines have been called for to protect populations most affected by the disease.
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 on Saturday in Geneva. The international spread of the disease is extremely unusual. So far, it has essentially been limited to six African countries. The WHO classification is intended to encourage the governments of member countries to take measures to contain the outbreak. They are intended to sensitize doctors and clinics, take protective measures in suspected cases and educate the population on how to protect themselves from infection.
WHO estimates the risk of infection in Europe to be high
According to Tedros’ words over the weekend, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox had already been confirmed in 75 countries. Europe is particularly affected. In contrast to the rest of the world, the WHO assesses the risk of infection as high, according to the WHO boss. The outbreak is currently focused on men who have sex with men – especially if they have many partners, it said. However, Tedros warned the WHO against stigmatizing these groups. The EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides meanwhile sent a fire letter to the responsible ministers of the EU states. The European Union is the epicenter of discovered cases, the letter said on Wednesday. “It is no time for complacency and we must continue to work together to control the outbreak.”
Against the background of the emergency declared by the WHO, it is important, among other things, that the EU states have solid systems for monitoring the situation and reporting new cases, wrote Kyriakides. That was lacking at the beginning of the corona pandemic. Effective contact tracing and, where necessary, isolation could also help control the outbreak. But the most important thing is probably public communication about risks. This should be strengthened, “especially to raise awareness – without causing panic or stigmatization”.