A total of 112 cases of monkeypox were reported in Canada as of Thursday, according to the country’s public health agency and Alberta’s chief media director.
One case has been identified in British Columbia, four in Alberta, nine in Ontario and 98 in Quebec.
Read more: Monkeypox, severe hepatitis raise concerns about viral outbreaks after COVID
Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared eradicated worldwide in 1980.
With the majority of monkeypox cases in Canada in Quebec, the province has begun offering a smallpox vaccine to specific close contacts of those infected.
As of June 9, 1,622 people had been vaccinated, the Quebec Ministry of Health said.
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Variole simienne: on 8 June, in Quebec, 98 declared doses and 1622 doses of vaccine on été administrées depuis le 27 May. To save more on this infection, the symptoms and transmission factors: https://t.co/y3a5YtyFeS
– Santé Québec (@sante_qc) June 9, 2022
Canada stopped routinely immunizing people against smallpox in 1972.
Toronto has 23 cases under investigation as of Thursday, according to the Department of Public Health.
1/2: We continue to monitor the activity of #Monkeypox in TO. As of June 9, 2022, at 3 pm, there are: 9 positive cases and 23 cases are under investigation for this virus. There is 1 new laboratory confirmed case after our last update.
– Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) June 9, 2022
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Toronto Public Health announced the first laboratory-confirmed case of monkeypox in the city on May 26.
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There are more than 1,000 cases of the disease reported to the WHO in the current epidemic outside the countries where it is more common. To date, twenty-nine countries have reported confirmed cases.
As the disease continues to spread around the world, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has issued a travel advice to encourage those leaving the country to be extra careful.
“During your trip, you may be subjected to procedures at your destination introduced to limit the spread of monkeypox, such as isolation if you become infected,” the agency said in a June 8 statement.
Canadians may also have limited access to timely and appropriate health care if they become ill and may experience delays in returning home, the PHAC warned.
Read more: Canada issues travel notice as monkeypox continues to spread around the world
Monkeypox is spread by contact with wounds and objects such as bed linen or towels that have been exposed to the virus. It can also be spread by respiratory droplets distributed when coughing or sneezing.
Although it can be transmitted through close contact during sexual activity, it is not known to be spread through semen or vaginal or rectal fluids.
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The virus is not as easily transmitted as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Symptoms consist mainly of skin lesions on the mouth and genitals and may include fever, headache and joint and muscle pain, according to the WHO.
1:39 WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox: Director-General WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox: Director-General
Anyone who develops symptoms is asked to visit a medical professional, wear a mask and cover the lesions, and inform the clinic in advance.
“Anyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, can become infected and spread the virus if they come into close contact, including intimate sexual contact with an infected person or an infected person,” said Dr. Teresa Tam, Chief Public Officer. healthcare in Canada, said at a briefing last Friday.
– With files from Reuters
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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