Why Monkeypox Hasn’t Killed Anybody in Non-African Countries With Its Case Fatality Rate of 1–10%
That’s because African children and immunocompromised individuals bear nearly all of the monkeypox deaths historically.
One weird thing about monkeypox is that we don’t really know how severe it is. The monkeypox virus has recently caused an international outbreak, with over 1000 cases across about 25 countries to date, but no one has died. That means the case fatality rate is, or close to, 0%.
But, historically, monkeypox has a 1–10% case fatality rate. So, what’s different this time?
How monkeypox works
First, let’s understand the pathology — the disease process — of monkeypox.
The monkeypox virus (MPXV, a DNA virus) is found among animals in central and western Africa — such as squirrels, rats, mice, monkeys, and prairie dogs — which may spill over to humans.
MPXV infection occurs via (i) direct contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, or respiratory droplets or (ii) indirect contact with contaminated objects or surfaces. MPXV is not a sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS that spreads via contact with blood, sperm, or vaginal fluids.
