Hamilton Public Health Services says it has confirmed the city’s first case of the monkeypox virus.
The Hamilton resident “was most likely infected during a recent visit to the City of Toronto,” the public health department said in a media release Monday afternoon.
“The individual is currently in isolation and Hamilton Public Health has notified all close contacts.”
CBC Hamilton has contacted the Department of Public Health for further comment.
Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical officer, said in the media release that the risk to the general public is “very low because we have not found the virus circulating in Hamilton and the virus does not spread easily.”
“Hamiltonians should not have to worry about going about their routine daily activities,” she said.
“We are continuing to closely monitor the situation and advise all individuals who develop symptoms or who have had close contact with a suspected or known case of monkeypox to contact their healthcare provider and local public health unit immediately.”
This comes as the country has seen at least 100 cases, including 67 confirmed cases in Ontario.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms include:
- A fever.
- Headache.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Low energy.
- Muscle pain.
- A skin rash, usually on the face, hands and feet, or lesions
The number of days between infection and the onset of symptoms is usually six to 13 days, but can be as long as three weeks.
The lesions, which can range from a few to thousands, may be flat or slightly raised with clear or yellowish fluid before crusting over and falling off as in chickenpox.
Most people will deal with only mild symptoms, but children, pregnant women and people with immune deficiencies are at higher risk of worsening symptoms.
The death rate from monkeypox is currently about one percent, according to Public Health.
How is monkeypox spread?
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus and Hamilton Public Health said it does not spread easily between people.
It can be spread through close contact, including respiratory droplets in the air, skin-to-skin contact, or if someone touches contaminated surfaces such as clothing or bedding.
It can also be spread through bites or scratches from infected animals.
Close contacts should self-monitor for symptoms for 21 days after their last exposure.
A person can be infected five days before the rash appears and until new skin forms over the cleared rash.
Practicing physical distancing, masking and good hand hygiene can reduce the risk of exposure to monkeypox, according to the public health department.
How do you treat it?
There really aren’t any treatment options. Symptoms eventually go away on their own in two weeks to a month.
People who have been exposed to monkeypox can receive the Imvamune smallpox vaccine, which can prevent infection or reduce the severity of symptoms.
Last week, the city hosted an appointment-only pop-up vaccine clinic for at-risk community members and administered over 60 doses.
Hamilton Public Health said other ways to avoid infection include physical distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask.
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