Nova Scotia’s health minister has clarified comments she made in the legislature about cases of monkeypox in the province.
Health Minister Michelle Thompson said Wednesday that the first “two” cases of monkeypox have been identified in Nova Scotia.
On Thursday, she further explained that the two cases involved people who visited Nova Scotia and had symptoms while here but tested positive in their home province.
“There were a few identified cases, but they were not people from here. So we don’t really have our own cases,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, both people who tested positive are no longer in the province and there is no evidence of monkeypox spreading in Nova Scotia.
The province did not say how public health learned of the two cases, citing “confidentiality concerns.”
Thompson said there is no risk to Nova Scotians, but health professionals are still asking people to watch for symptoms.
“There’s fever and sometimes chills and swollen lymph nodes, headaches,” said MOH Dr. Ryan Summers. “Joint pain, muscle pain and fatigue, and what happens one to five days later is the development of a rash.”
Newfoundland and Labrador reported its first probable case Thursday, but few details about the case were released.
No cases have been reported in New Brunswick, but contact tracing efforts are ongoing.
“What is the best approach to manage cases and contacts and to manage the risk of further spread,” said Dr. Yves Leger, New Brunswick’s deputy chief medical officer.
“We’ve also looked at our surveillance to make sure we’re happy with surveillance in place, making sure healthcare providers are aware of the need to think about monkeypox.”
In Prince Edward Island, the attitude toward waiting for the arrival of monkeypox is that it’s a matter of when, not if.
“Given the way it’s spreading across Canada and around the world, we’re likely to see cases at some point,” said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Eilish Cleary.
Cleary said the best way to prevent a larger outbreak and reduce exposures is to work closely with people who are at highest risk.
Canada has 745 confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Wednesday, with the majority of cases reported in Quebec and Ontario.
On July 23, the WHO declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.
With files from CTVNews.ca
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