CDC Says Majority of Hospitalized Monkeypox Patients Were HIV-Positive

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that of the 57 U.S. patients hospitalized with a severe case of monkeypox, 47 turned out to be HIV-positive.

Four of those patients were also already receiving anti-HIV treatments prior to their monkeypox diagnosis, the CDC said.

Seventeen patients required ICU-level care, with 12 of them dying. The CDC said that the majority of the 57 patients were Black males.

“Monkeypox and HIV have collided with tragic effects,” Dr. Jonathan Mermin, CDC Monkeypox Incident Commander, said in a statement. “Today’s report reminds all of us that access to monkeypox and HIV prevention and treatment matters — for people’s lives and for public health.”

Monkey Pox Outbreak

The CDC has recommended that all healthcare workers who are testing patients for monkeypox also test those patients for HIV, a sexually transmitted disease for which there is no cure.

The U.S. has experienced a rapid decline in monkeypox cases over the past month. As of Wednesday, there had been 28,087 confirmed cases across the country.

According to the CDC website:

“People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals (penis, testicles, labia, and vagina) or anus (butthole) and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth. … The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. … The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.”

As far as treatment, there is currently no approved prevention specifically related to the monkeypox virus. But, antivirus developed for use in patients that have smallpox may prove beneficial against the disease. One can use Tecovirimat, Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous, Cidofovir, or Brincidofovir. One can also receive the Monkeypox and Smallpox vaccines before exposure that are effective in protecting against it.

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