The second death in Europe from the monkeypox virus has been confirmed in Spain as cases climb worldwide.
Spain had reported its first death as recently as Friday, shortly after Brazil reported the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current wave of the disease.
The Brazilian victim was a 41-year-old man who, according to the country's health ministry, also suffered from lymphoma and a weakened immune system.
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report from July 22, only five deaths had been reported, all in the African region.
The WHO last Saturday declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert.
In its latest report on Saturday, the Spanish Health Ministry said 4,298 cases had been confirmed in the country.
Of the 3,750 patients on which it had information, 120 or 3.2 per cent had been hospitalised, and two had died, it said without providing further details.
The first death occurred in the northeastern Valencia region and the cause was encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain associated with the infection.
Traditionally, people with monkeypox have developed a fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches and muscle aches.
The symptoms are followed by a rash that starts on their face or mouth and then spreads to other parts of their body - particularly the hands and feet.
However, in some recent cases, patients first experienced a rash in the mouth or around the genitals or anus.
Health bosses have also stressed it's important to check for symptoms of proctitis, anal or rectal pain or bleeding - especially if the individual has had a new sexual partner recently.
New York in the US has declared a state disaster emergency to tackle the outbreak with more than 1,383 cases in the state.
Brazil, along with the United States and Canada, is among the countries most affected by monkeypox in the Americas, where more than 5,000 cases have been reported to date, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The South American country reported 1,066 confirmed cases and 513 suspected cases of the disease, the vast majority (744) in Sao Paulo state, the Health Ministry said.
More than 98 per cent of the confirmed cases in the country are men who have sex with men, with an average age of 33 years, according to ministry data.
PAHO said in a press briefing this week that almost all cases had been reported among men who have sex with men between the ages of 25 and 45, but warned that anyone can get the disease regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
