Severe variant of mpox fatally affecting HIV patients

People who have untreated HIV are at risk of developing a severe form of mpox, which can be fatal. — AFP

Researchers said on Feb 21 (2023) that they have identified a particularly severe form of mpox in people with advanced HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which had a death rate of 15% among patients with AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has long been endemic in several African countries, but started spreading across the world last May (2022), overwhelmingly affecting men who have sex with men.