Spain, Brazil report first monkeypox-related deaths

Spain reported its first monkeypox-related death on Friday, in what is thought to be Europe's first death from the disease and only the second outside of Africa in the current outbreak.

Brazil reported earlier on Friday the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current wave of the disease.

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report from July 22, only five deaths had been reported worldwide, all in the African region.

The WHO last Saturday declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert.

In its latest report, the Spanish Health Ministry said 4,298 cases had been confirmed in the country. Of the 3,750 patients it had information on, it said 120 had been hospitalised - accounting for 3.2% — and one had died, without providing further details. A spokesperson for the Health Ministry declined to give further details on the deceased person.

A 41-year-old man in Brazil has died of monkeypox, making him the first person outside of Africa to have been killed by the disease, local authorities said on Friday.

The man, who local media said had serious immune system problems, died in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the southeastern Minas Gerais state, on Thursday.

He "was receiving hospital treatment for other serious conditions," the state health ministry said in a statement.

Brazil's health ministry has recorded close to 1,000 monkeypox cases, mostly in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, which are also in the country's southeast. The first case was detected on June 10 in a man who had travelled to Europe.

Philippines reports first monkeypox case, traces 10 close contacts

Earlier during the day, the Philippines has reported its first case of the monkeypox virus, detected in a citizen who returned from abroad earlier this month, a health ministry official said.

The 31-year-old had recovered but was isolating at home, while 10 people identified as close contacts including three from the patient's household had been ordered to quarantine, said Department of Health Undersecretary Beverly Ho.

The person had previously travelled to countries with documented monkeypox cases, said Ho, without elaborating.

Agencies