Monkeypox kills 2 in Chicago’s first fatal cases, health department announces

The first two monkeypox deaths in Chicago were announced Friday by the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The disease quickly spread throughout the city and country this summer, though its transmission has sharply slowed as vaccination and awareness has increased. Cases in the current outbreak have only rarely been fatal.

Five people have died as a result of monkeypox across the country, though nearly 30,000 have been infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

“Though the number of new MPV cases has declined substantially since summer, this is a stark reminder that MPV is dangerous and can cause serious illness, and in very rare cases, even death,” CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a news release.

The two people killed by monkeypox in Chicago had other health conditions, including weakened immune systems. Many of the 32 people reported to have died in this year’s worldwide monkeypox outbreak have had such conditions, Arwady said.

[ As Chicago monkeypox cases drop, experts call for continued vigilance ]

“Please continue to take it seriously. If you’re at risk of MPV infection, take prevention steps and get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones,” she added.

The health department declined to identify the two deceased people or the hospital where they received treatment, citing privacy concerns.

Monkeypox cases across the city have plummeted from their late July peak, when the CDPH reported 142 new cases. Only two new cases have been reported since last Saturday.

Over 27,000 Chicagoans have gotten at least one dose of the monkeypox vaccine, CDPH data shows. Health experts have praised the once-scarce vaccine as an effective tool in halting the virus’s spread.

[ Monkeypox concern grows as virus spreads in Chicago: ‘They need to get loud about this’ ]

The monkeypox virus first appeared in Illinois in early June, weeks after it spread to the United States in a global outbreak. The smallpox-related illness was first detected in humans in 1970 and is endemic to parts of west and central Africa.

The virus can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and painful, large rashes throughout the body and often around the genital area akin to pimples or blisters. Monkeypox symptoms can last up to four weeks.

For information on how to get a monkeypox vaccine, visit the CDPH’s monkeypox vaccine site.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com