Lorraine Williamson
A 61-year-old man has died after contracting mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, while receiving treatment at a hospital in northern Spain. The patient, who had cancer and other serious health conditions, is believed to have become infected after sharing a room with another patient at Hospital Donostia in San Sebastián.
Health officials confirmed the death on Thursday 8 October, describing the circumstances as unusual and stressing that the infection has not been established as the direct cause of death. The incident comes as health authorities continue to record mpox infections in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.
The man died on Tuesday evening after spending several weeks in hospital receiving treatment for an existing medical condition. According to hospital officials, he had shared a room with another patient who was subsequently diagnosed with mpox.
The second patient had initially been admitted with a throat-related condition. Once doctors identified the infection, he was isolated and later discharged to continue his recovery at home.
Miguel Ángel Goenaga, head of infectious diseases at Hospital Donostia, explained that the deceased patient had several serious underlying conditions. Although infections can be particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, doctors have not been able to determine whether mpox was responsible for his death.
More than 30 people monitored after hospital exposure
Hospital Donostia, part of the Basque public healthcare system Osakidetza, has introduced precautionary measures following the incident. More than 30 people, mainly healthcare workers who had contact with the patients, have received vaccinations and are being monitored for 21 days.
The monitoring period reflects the time during which symptoms can develop following exposure to the virus. Hospital specialists believe further infections linked to this incident are highly unlikely, although surveillance is continuing.
The case is understood to be the first recorded death in the Basque Country involving a patient diagnosed with mpox. Health officials have emphasised that transmission between hospital patients is uncommon and that most infections do not result in life-threatening illness.
What is mpox and how does it spread?
Mpox is a viral infection caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox. Although the disease was previously known as monkeypox, the World Health Organization adopted the name mpox to reduce stigma associated with the original terminology.
The infection spreads primarily through close physical contact with an infected person, including contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids and contaminated bedding or clothing. Sexual contact has been an important route of transmission in recent outbreaks, although the disease is not limited to sexual transmission.
Symptoms commonly include fever, headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and a distinctive rash that can develop into painful blisters or sores. These may appear on the face, hands, feet, genital area or inside the mouth.
Symptoms generally develop within 21 days of exposure, and most people recover within two to four weeks. However, complications can occur, particularly among people with severely weakened immune systems, young children and pregnant women.
Vaccination is available for people considered at increased risk, including certain close contacts of confirmed cases. Anyone who develops symptoms or believes they may have been exposed should contact a healthcare professional and avoid close physical contact until they have received medical advice.
How many mpox cases have been recorded in Spain?
Spain experienced one of Europe’s largest mpox outbreaks in 2022, when infections spread internationally through networks of close physical contact. Although case numbers subsequently declined, the virus has continued circulating.
According to figures published by Spain’s Ministry of Health, 9,375 confirmed cases were recorded between April 2022 and January 2026. During 2025 alone, Spain reported 791 infections, with the majority involving men and close physical contact identified as the principal transmission route.
New infections have continued during 2026. In Galicia, health authorities reported 12 cases in a recent surveillance update, with all affected patients experiencing mild symptoms. Most were recorded in A Coruña province, and investigators found no evidence of a change in transmission patterns that would indicate an increased risk to the general population.
The ministry has emphasised that occasional increases in case numbers are expected while the virus continues circulating. Health officials are maintaining surveillance and recommending vaccination for eligible people at greater risk of exposure.
Mpox infections continue across Europe
Spain is not alone in recording infections during 2026. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control continues to monitor two main groups of the virus, known as clade I and clade II, across European countries.
In August 2026, 209 clade I infections were reported across 16 European Union and European Economic Area countries. Germany recorded the largest number that month, with 56 cases, followed by Portugal with 39 and Spain with 38.
The same surveillance report recorded three clade II infections during August, one each in France, the Netherlands and Spain. These figures relate to cases classified by viral clade and may be revised as additional laboratory and surveillance information becomes available.
ECDC reported that overall clade I case numbers remained relatively stable across the region during the summer, while reported clade II infections continued to decline. The figures show that mpox remains present in Europe, but they do not establish a connection between the wider European cases and the hospital incident in San Sebastián.
Hospital surveillance continues as doctors assess the case
The death at Hospital Donostia highlights the particular risks that infections can pose to patients already receiving treatment for serious illnesses. It also raises questions about how an infection that was not initially recognised came to be transmitted between patients sharing a hospital room.
For now, hospital officials have reported no evidence of further transmission linked to the incident. The 21-day monitoring programme will continue, while the precise contribution of mpox to the patient’s death remains medically uncertain.
Spanish and European health authorities continue to recommend targeted vaccination, early identification of symptoms and prompt assessment of suspected infections. Current surveillance does not indicate that this hospital incident represents a wider outbreak.