A majority of patients hospitalized with monkeypox in the U.S. had weakened immune systems, often from HIV, an Oct. 26 CDC report found.
CDC researchers analyzed data on 57 patients hospitalized with severe monkeypox symptoms between Aug. 10 and Oct. 10. Eighty-two percent of patients had AIDS, and 68 percent were Black. Thirteen percent were experiencing homelessness.
Seventeen of the 57 patients required intensive care, and 12 died. Monkeypox was listed as a cause of death or contributing factor in five deaths. Another six deaths are still under investigation, and monkeypox was not a cause of death for one patient.
"Monkeypox and HIV have collided with tragic effects," Jonathan Mermin, MD, the CDC's lead scientist on monkeypox, told The New York Times on Oct. 26.
Based on the study findings, clinicians should test patients with suspected monkeypox infections for HIV and be prepared to offer treatment for both infections, the CDC said.
View the full report here.