Peru confirms the first death in the country due to monkeypox

Peruvian authorities have confirmed the first death in the country due to simian smallpox, a disease that has so far left more than 300 cases in Peruvian territory.

The Dos de Mayo National Hospital has indicated in a statement that the patient, 41 years old, “was admitted for emergency presenting respiratory distress and skin lesions with a history of HIV infection and tuberculosis, with abandonment of antiretroviral treatment.”

“Said lesions were compatible with signs of monkeypox, the diagnosis being confirmed with the National Institute of Health,” it has pointed out, before adding that the man was admitted to intensive care where “despite the efforts made by specialists to save his life, he died.”

Thus, he has detailed that the cause of death was respiratory failure, acute renal failure and septic shock. “It is important to mention that patients with comorbidity such as HIV and tuberculosis who abandon their treatment for various reasons can develop severe infections,” he said.

“The Dos de Mayo National Hospital reaffirms its commitment to continue providing timely care to patients who come to its facilities for any disease in order to determine the early diagnosis and the respective treatment.”

For its part, the Peruvian Ministry of Health has stated on its official account on the social network Twitter that 313 cases of monkeypox have been detected to date in nine regions of the country. “All patients have been receiving medical assistance. Ninety-nine medical discharges were registered and contact identification is underway,” he concluded.

Smallpox is a viral zoonosis, i.e. a disease caused by viruses transmitted from animals to humans, which produces symptoms similar to those seen in smallpox patients in the past, although less severe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) on its website.

The agency, which in late July declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern, notes that monkeypox “occurs mainly in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is sporadically exported to other regions.”

Peru has become the fourth non-African country to confirm deaths from monkeypox in recent weeks, after Spain – where two people have died – Brazil and India, which confirmed its first death from the disease on Monday.