Dr. Teresa Tam gave this speech in Ottawa on August 12:
Bonjour à toutes et à tous. Today we will provide an update on the response to the monkeypox outbreak in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to work closely with international, provincial and territorial partners on prevention and control activities to limit the spread of monkeypox virus in Canada.
Globally, as of August 10, more than 31,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported from 91 countries, territories and areas in all six regions defined by the World Health Organization. This represents a 19 percent increase in global cases in the last reporting week compared to the previous week.
In Canada, as of August 12, a total of 1,059 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported nationally, including 511 cases in Ontario, 426 in Quebec, 98 in British Columbia, 19 in Alberta, 3 in Saskatchewan and 2 in the Yukon. Among the cases for which additional information is available, more than 99 percent were male and the average age was 35 years.
A monkeypox infection is usually a self-limiting disease, and while most people recover on their own after a few weeks, the accompanying rash can be painful and affect any part of the body. In some circumstances, people can become very sick, and in rare cases, death can occur.
To date, there have been 28 reported hospitalizations, including 2 intensive care unit admissions, and no deaths due to monkeypox in Canada.
Consistent with international trends, the majority of confirmed cases in Canada with available information on exposure history reported intimate sexual contact with other men. Nationally, less than one percent of confirmed cases with available age and gender information are in women or people under 20 years of age. Internationally, women and youth also account for one percent or less of reported cases.
Canada’s Chief Medical Officer of Health established a Special Advisory Committee (or SAC) on the response to Monkeypox, similar to COVID-19, more than two years ago. To date, our discussions have focused on testing, working with community organizations to raise awareness about ways to limit the spread of the virus, and deploying the Imvamune vaccine and therapeutics
While the global epidemic of monkeypox remains a serious concern, by focusing our efforts on affected communities in Canada and around the world, including with vaccinations, we have an opportunity to limit the spread.
To date, the Government of Canada has deployed over 99,000 doses of Imvamune vaccine to provinces and territories, with more than 50,000 people vaccinated as of August 11.
Raising awareness and understanding is critical. Public education to equip people with the information they need to make informed choices is an essential part of our response. Local community organizations are doing exceptional work in this space, including bringing information directly to those most at risk – and the Government of Canada has provided funding to support their work.
In the current outbreak in Canada, we are largely seeing person-to-person transmission. This can happen when someone has close contact with bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, or skin wounds of an infected person. It can also occur through direct contact with clothing, sheets, or other personal items that have been in contact with someone infected with the monkeypox virus.
It is important to emphasize that anyone, regardless of their sex, gender, race or sexual orientation, can contract or spread the virus. We urge everyone to be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox and learn how to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus to others.
Common symptoms include a rash or skin sores on any part of the body, which may be accompanied by general symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.
If you think you may be infected with the monkeypox virus, we urge you to stay home and isolate yourself away from others. If you think you have been infected or may have come into contact with someone who has monkeypox, it is important to contact your healthcare provider or local public health authority immediately.
As we learn more about monkeypox, we will continue to provide updates, including on the canada.ca/monkeypox website, to ensure that people in Canada have the information they need to understand the risks and preventative measures they can take take to protect their health.
Thank you—Mercy—Miigwich
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