As of August 10, cases of monkeypox in the country reached 1,008, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Ontario reported a total of 478 monkeypox cases, making it the province with the most cases in Canada, while Quebec reported 425 cases. British Columbia recorded 85 cases and Alberta reported 16. Saskatchewan and Yukon each reported two.
Monkeypox is a viral infectious disease related to smallpox that most people recover from on their own after a few weeks, but people can get very sick and die under certain circumstances, according to PHAC.
Read more: US declares monkeypox a public health emergency. Should Canada follow suit?
PHAC said on its website that the agency will continue to collect and analyze epidemiological information on monkeypox reported by provinces and territories in an effort to “determine whether there are increased risks to human health in Canada.”
“The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with provinces, territories and international partners, including the World Health Organization, to actively monitor the situation.”
Symptoms of monkeypox include a painful rash that can last between 14 and 28 days, which may be accompanied by high fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain or exhaustion.
People who are infected are advised to self-isolate and contact their healthcare provider or local public health authority, PHAC says.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 31,800 cases of monkeypox in 87 countries worldwide as of August 9.
Following an announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23 that declared monkeypox a global health emergency, the United States also declared monkeypox a public health emergency on August 4.
In Ontario, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said the province had vaccinated more than 20,000 people against monkeypox as of Monday, with the priority group being gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men who meet the certain criteria.
On August 4, Quebec announced that the province is expanding access to monkeypox vaccines. Men who report sexual contact with men other than one exclusive partner will also be eligible for the monkeypox vaccine. Quebec’s previous vaccine efforts focused only on men living in or visiting Montreal.
To minimize the risk of contracting the monkeypox virus, PHAC recommends that people use condoms, practice safe sex, and have fewer sexual partners.
In Canada, the IMVAMUNE vaccine is available to adults 18 years of age and older. The vaccine was originally developed for use against smallpox.
— with files from Teresa Wright of Global and The Canadian Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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