Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting the province’s first confirmed case of monkeypox.
The infected person remains in isolation and contact tracing is called in to determine the source of the infection and notify close contacts.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, issued a statement late Friday advising New Brunswickers that the virus is spread through close contact with infected people or animals and is not spread like COVID-19.
“The public is not at this level of risk, but should still be aware of how to reduce their personal risk,” Russell said in a statement.
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Explained: The Monkey Pox Outbreak Explained: Symptoms, Vaccines, Spread & More
Monkeypox disease comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. Cases of monkeypox began appearing around the world in non-endemic countries in May, and the WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency. crisis at the end of last month.
The number of cases of Canadian monkeypox surpassed 1,000 this week alone, although there are early signs that the virus may now be spreading at a slower rate.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says most domestic cases are among men who have reported intimate sexual contact with other men. Having multiple sexual partners may increase overall risk, but the agency says the risk of exposure is not unique to any group or environment.
On Friday, Canada’s chief public health officer said plans are underway to screen Canadian sewage to test for monkeypox. Dr. Theresa Tam said the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg has developed a method that will use the infrastructure established to track COVID-19 through wastewater testing.
Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has proven how useful wastewater testing can be, especially when it comes to early detection.
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