Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, says the federal government is monitoring monkeypox cases and their transmission chains after two cases were confirmed in the country.
Quebec’s health ministry said Thursday night that there have been two confirmed cases of monkeypox in the province, while 20 other alleged cases are still under investigation.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Tam said health authorities were also monitoring several possible contacts in British Columbia.
“There are samples being processed at the National Microbiology Laboratory as we speak, so we can expect to hear more confirmations in the coming hours and days,” Tam said.
She added that officials still did not know the extent of the monkeypox in Canada, but it was under “active investigation”.
“This is an unusual situation,” she said.
An increasing number of countries, including Canada, the United States, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, have reported an unusual outbreak of monkeypox. What makes these cases remarkable is that the disease is relatively rare and there are no clear links between some of the infections, which raises concerns about community spread and undetected cases.
The World Health Organization says there is no confirmed source of infection for the outbreak.
First discovered in 1958, smallpox is a rare disease caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as the one that causes smallpox. The disease was first detected in colonies of monkeys used for research.
The disease was reported mainly in Central and West African countries, with the first case outside the continent reported in 2003 in the United States.
Due to the unexpected nature of the current epidemic, Tam said health officials in Canada and abroad are investigating any changes from what was previously known about the rare disease, including the incubation period and mode of transmission.
“It’s unusual for the world to see so many cases reported in different countries outside of Africa, and we’ll let people know as soon as we get more information,” Tam said, adding that the current impact on Canada is unclear.
However, Tam said anyone who thinks they may have had or are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox should seek advice from their healthcare provider.
The virus is transmitted through contact with an infected animal, human or infected material. It is thought that human-to-human transmission occurs mainly through large respiratory droplets, which do not usually travel far and require prolonged close contact. Transmission from an animal can occur through bites or scratches, contact with animal blood or body fluids.
The symptoms of smallpox are similar to those of smallpox, but are generally milder. The first signs are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills and exhaustion. One feature specific to monkeypox is that the infection also causes lymphadenopathy – swelling of the lymph nodes.
The measles develops after the onset of fever and usually occurs one to three days later, sometimes longer. The rash usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, developing into distinct, raised bumps that then fill with fluid or pus.
However, he warned that milder cases could go undetected and feared there could be asymptomatic transmission in Canada.
“I think at the beginning of every epidemic we need to deploy the network to try to understand the ways of transmission,” Tam said. “There were probably some hidden chains of transmission that could emerge in a matter of weeks, given the kind of global situation we’re seeing right now, so we shouldn’t rule out new things we can learn as we walk together. “
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr Howard Nju told reporters on Friday that while the overall risk of monkeypox to the general public is low, he said it was important to remember that everyone is susceptible.
“Some of the good practices we’ve all learned with COVID-19 actually serve us against a whole host of other diseases, including this one,” Nju said.
He reminded Canadians to practice good hand hygiene, wear a mask if they feel sick or have a cough, and observe physical distance.
Njoo added that health officials will further monitor the outbreak and how best to prevent transmission by providing updates if necessary.
“We will continue to look at and also develop guidelines to help health care providers and others on how to deal with this disease as it continues to develop,” he said.
There is no proven cure for the viral infection, but the smallpox vaccine is also known to protect against monkeypox with an efficiency of more than 85 percent. However, as the smallpox vaccine eradicated the disease, routine smallpox immunization for the general population ended in Canada in 1972.
He said discussions were under way in Canada and abroad on the review of smallpox vaccines and their efficacy against monkeypox.
Earlier this month, the Public Health Agency of Canada ordered 500,000 vials of the smallpox vaccine Imvamune, which also provides protection against monkeypox. However, these doses will not be delivered until April 2023.
There, he said Canada currently has a “limited supply” of the vaccine, but could not reveal the exact number due to “security concerns”. Due to limited supply, vaccines are not available to the general public and are reserved for those identified as being at high risk of exposure.
With files from Canadian Press and Solarina Ho from CTVNews.ca
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