CNN —Six people who tested positive for monkeypox – two in New York City, two in Chicago, one in Nevada and one in Maryland – have died, local health departments have confirmed.
The two Chicagoans who died after testing positive for monkeypox had multiple other health conditions, including weakened immune systems, according to the Chicago Department of Health (CDPH).
A person with monkeypox in Houston died in August, but officials have not determined whether the virus caused the death.
In late September, Ohio reported its first death of a person with monkeypox but noted that “the individual also had other health conditions.”It can be difficult to determine if someone has died of monkeypox.
There were 27,884 probable or confirmed monkeypox cases reported in the US as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.