Saskatchewan is looking for monkeypox, no cases have been found

Links to the Breadcrumb trail

1. Local news

“The risk to Saskatchewan residents remains low,” a health ministry spokeswoman said Thursday.

This print photo, taken in 2001 and received on Monday, May 23, 2022 by the Robert Koch Institute, shows color electron microscopic capture of the monkeypox virus. Photo by ANDREA MAENEL / ANDREA SCHNARTENDORF / Robert Koch Institute / AFP via Getty Images

Content of the article

The Saskatchewan government says it is looking for monkeypox, but has not yet found any suspected cases of the virus.

Content of the article

A senior public health official told doctors this week that they should be vigilant and consider monkeypox when diagnosing patients with its treacherous symptoms, which include rash, fever and swollen lymph nodes.

The health ministry said it had not found any suspicious or confirmed cases as of Thursday; nor has it received samples from patients who have been tested for the virus.

“To date, there are no confirmed or suspected cases in this province and the risk to Saskatchewan residents remains low,” spokeswoman Jennifer Graham said in an email.

Monkeypox is a viral disease, similar to smallpox, but milder, that circulates mainly in Central and West Africa. In recent weeks, a small number of cases have been found in other countries, including Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed 26 cases of the virus as of Thursday, all but one in Quebec. The agency said more cases are likely to be confirmed in the coming days as it receives samples from “multiple jurisdictions”.

Saskatchewan’s chief health officer, Dr. Sakib Shahab, declared monkeypox an “emerging contagious disease” earlier this week, meaning all suspicious cases must be reported to a local health professional within 48 hours of detection.

In a letter, CMHO Deputy Dr Julie Krizanowski said the tests for the virus should be facilitated through Roy Romanov’s provincial laboratory in Regina, which will then send samples to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for analysis.

zvescera@postmedia.comtwitter.com/zakvescera

The news seems to be flying faster all the time. From updates to COVID-19 to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be difficult to maintain. With that in mind, Saskatoon StarPhoenix has created an afternoon newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to make sure you’re up to date with the most important news of the day. Click here to subscribe.