Can you die from monkeypox? Infectious disease experts discuss mortality rates, severity, and risk factors

• As of August 4, there have been 26,864 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide.
• Of those, there have been 10 confirmed deaths in Spain, Brazil, India, Ghana, and Nigeria.

Western Europe and the US have a new outbreak on their hands: monkeypox. But just how serious is this $4 that's a $4? And can you die from it?

In the news: On Thursday, August 5, the $4. The announcement is about one month after the WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern.

Monkeypox mortality rate

So far, the current strain of monkeypox hasn't been very deadly.

As of August 4 there are:

• $4 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide this year
• $4 monkeypox cases in the US
• $4 in Spain, Brazil, India, Ghana, and Nigeria. No one in the US has died from monkeypox.

To compare, there have been 577 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide and $4 as of Aug. 3.

While past outbreaks in Africa have seen monkeypox mortality rates of around $4, the current outbreak is $4, says $4, an infectious disease physician and the Chief Medical Officer at University Hospital at Downstate Health Sciences University.

That is $4. It may also be because the outbreak is currently affecting mostly young, healthy individuals without comorbidities, Yusuff says.

In comparison, mortality rates of other infectious diseases include:

However, monkeypox's mortality rate could change as monkeypox infections spread beyond healthy young adults into more vulnerable populations, including kids, Yusuff says.

How serious is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is serious in that it's spreading quickly and its symptoms — including $4 and $4 — can cause significant suffering, says $4, a professor of medicine at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

"It can still cause problems as far as $4 and they can be very, very painful and somewhat debilitating so it is kind of scary in that sense," Gulick says.

But the average healthy person without comorbidities is very unlikely to die from the disease, Gulick says.

Who is most at risk?

In severe forms, monkeypox can trigger sepsis, encephalitis, or secondary infections, Yusuff says. These can be fatal, especially in people with preexisting conditions.

Some people more likely to develop severe cases of monkeypox include:

• Very young $4
• $4
• $4

Monkeypox $4 both direct and indirect contact:

• Direct contact could include touching an infected person's scabs or bodily fluids, or prolonged exposure to respiratory secretions.
• Indirect contact involves touching items an infected person has left secretions on, like blankets or clothes.

Monkeypox is considered $4, with the average infected individual spreading the disease to only $4, compared to $4with recent strains of COVID-19.

It's $4 how common asymptomatic transmission of monkeypox may be, but Yusuff says it's likely less common than in COVID-19. That reduces the risk of spread, since it's easier to identify infected individuals and ask them to quarantine.

In that sense, "COVID would still be high on the list to be very aware of and very cautious of," Yusuff says.

Note: Because monkeypox spreads through skin-to-skin contact, it's essential to check that your sexual partners don't have monkeypox symptoms before you become intimate, Yusuff says. Importantly, monkeypox $4 like passing an infected person on the street.

Insider's takeaway

While past monkeypox outbreaks have had high mortality rates, the current strain spreading across the US and Western Europe is unlikely to be deadly.

However, it's important to remain vigilant, and remember that monkeypox can affect anyone, $4, Yusuff says.

Make sure to see a doctor if you have monkeypox symptoms. "We have to be aware now that developing a skin problem, a skin disorder, it's important to get in to your doctor or some urgent care setting to make sure you don't have it," Gulick says.

If you do, you can isolate and, in severe cases, get treatment.