The monkeypox outbreak in the United States has resulted in the death of six people who were infected with the disease despite the continuously dropping number of cases, two in New York City, two in Chicago, one in Nevada, and one in Maryland.

In a statement, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said that it was "deeply saddened by the two reported deaths, and our hearts go out to the individuals' loved ones and community."

Monkeypox Deaths

The NYC DOH added that they would make every effort to prevent any additional suffering from the virus with the help of continued community engagement, information-sharing, and vaccination. The two individuals who died in Chicago had multiple other health conditions, including weakened immune systems, said the Chicago Department of Health (CDPH).

Dr. Allison Arwady, the CDPH commissioner, said that while the number of new MPV cases has declined significantly since summer, the deaths are a stark reminder that the monkeypox virus is dangerous and can cause severe illness and in some instances, be fatal, as per CNN.

The monkeypox virus was a contributing factor in the death of a Maryland resident, who was found to be immunocompromised and was experiencing a severe case, as revealed by the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). The Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services of the MDH, Dr. Jinlene Chan, said that if a person is eligible, such as being immunocompromised or at-risk, the best way to protect themselves from the monkeypox virus was getting the vaccine.

According to the Washington Post, the deaths also come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 27,884 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States since the outbreak started in May earlier this year.

Read Also: Oral Polio Vaccine Under Consideration as Health Experts Weigh Options Against New York Outbreak 

Decreasing Number of Cases

Public health officials attributed the decreasing number of infections to changes in human behavior and uptake of the two-dose monkeypox vaccine. In Maryland, which has the highest case rate per capita compared to other states, authorities have administered more than 37,000 vaccine doses as of Monday.

Public health officials in D.C. made getting vaccinations much easier when they eliminated pre-registration, transitioned to an entirely walk-up system, and merged monkeypox vaccine clinics with existing coronavirus vaccine centers. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia had all expanded eligibility criteria by late September to include any person, of any sexual orientation or gender, who has had anonymous or multiple sexual partners in the past two weeks.

The list includes people who are considered highest-risk: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; transgender men and transgender women; sex workers; and staff at bathhouses, saunas, or sex clubs. The situation comes as San Francisco will not renew its monkeypox public health emergency declaration when it expires at the end of the month. In the last two months, daily cases of monkeypox infection have declined eightfold.

Data from the CDC showed that the number of monkeypox cases dropped from an average of 400 per day on Aug. 19 to fewer than 50 per day on Wednesday. An epidemiology professor at Columbia University, Stephen Morse, said that officials do not want to declare victory prematurely but noted that it seemed the virus was being defeated, NBC News reported.

Related Article: Uganda's Ebola Outbreak 'Rapidly Evolving' a Month After Disease was First Reported, WHO Warns