The Spanish Ministry of Health reported the death of a monkey pox patient.

This case is considered the first in Europe.

At the moment, Spain is the second country in the world after the United States in the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox.

According to the report of the Spanish Ministry of Health, 4,298 cases of the disease were recorded in the country.

135 patients developed complications — "secondary bacterial infections and mouth ulcers were the most common."

120 patients needed hospitalization, one of them died as a result.

A few hours earlier than Spain, Brazil reported the death of a monkey pox patient.

A 41-year-old man died there, who, according to the local Ministry of Health, suffered from lymphoma and had a weakened immune system.

In the current outbreak, this is the first recorded death outside of Africa, where five monkeypox patients have died.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 16,000 cases of this disease have been registered in the world since May in approximately 70 countries, including Belarus' neighboring countries — Latvia, Poland, and Russia.

Monkey pox is an infectious viral disease that affects both animals and humans.

It is similar in symptoms to natural smallpox, but usually passes more easily.

Patients feel pain in the muscles, have a high temperature, a characteristic rash and itching.

There is no specific medicine for it, monkey pox usually goes away on its own within 2-4 weeks, but fatal cases have also been recorded.

Monkey pox was declared a global emergency.

Monkey pox was first discovered in 1958.

Most of the cases of infection until May of this year were recorded in Africa, but in May the disease began to spread rapidly in Europe.

The vast majority of patients are men aged 18 to 50 who have had sexual contact with other men.

Monkey pox infection is protected by the natural smallpox vaccine, which was given in childhood to all those born before the end of the 1970s, when it was officially announced that the natural smallpox was completely eradicated from the planet.

There is also a vaccine directly against monkeypox, which is used for at-risk groups.