Canada has reported 890 cases of monkeypox as of Aug. 3, with Ontario reporting the most cases, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Wednesday.
Ontario reported 423 cases. There are 373 reported cases in Quebec, 78 in British Columbia, 13 in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in the Yukon.
Monkeypox is a viral infectious disease related to smallpox, according to PHAC. The agency is working with provinces, territories and international partners to actively monitor the situation in Canada.
Read more: Monkeypox cases rise to 423: Ontario Public Health
Most people who are infected with monkeypox can recover on their own after a few weeks, but in some circumstances people can become very sick and die, PHAC states on its website.
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Infected individuals usually develop symptoms five to 21 days after being exposed to the monkeypox virus, which includes a painful rash that can last between 14 and 28 days.
The rash may be accompanied by other symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, and exhaustion.
PHAC advises people who are infected to isolate themselves at home and contact their healthcare provider or local public health authority.
2:28 A case of monkeypox detected at a shelter in Toronto A case of monkeypox detected at a shelter in Toronto
On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.
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“The WHO assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except for the European region, where we assess the risk as high,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 26,208 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 87 countries as of August 3.
Spain reported a second death caused by monkeypox on July 30. The two deaths are believed to be the first confirmed from the outbreak in the European Union, the Associated Press previously reported.
Monkeypox is spread from person to person, through contact with contaminated objects and from animals to people, the PHAC states.
Individuals can become infected through sexual contact—including oral and nonpenetrating contact—when caring for an infected person or when living in the same household as an individual who carries the virus.
To minimize the risk of contracting the monkeypox virus, PHAC recommends that people use condoms, practice safe sex, and have fewer sexual partners.
Health officials in Montreal said men who have sex with men should get vaccinated against monkeypox instead of limiting the number of people they have sex with, the Canadian Press reported.
In Canada, adults 18 and older are eligible for the IMVAMUNE vaccine, which was originally developed to be used to prevent smallpox.
— With files from The Canadian Press and Associated Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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