US Has First Monkeypox Fatality

The US has suffered its first monkeypox death, though it's not clear whether monkeypox caused the death. A severely immunocompromised adult who was infected with monkeypox has died in Texas, health officials say. The form of the virus circulating in the US is rarely fatal, and an investigation is underway into what role monkeypox played in the death, Reuters reports. "This is the first death in an presumed positive for monkeypox that we are aware of. However, the individual had various severe illnesses and until the investigation is complete, it is premature to assign a specific cause of death," a CDC spokesperson says, per CBS News. Around 15 people have died worldwide during the monkeypox outbreak. (More monkeypox stories.)