With 26 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, health officials warn that more cases are likely to be reported in the coming days and weeks. However, one expert says the epidemic could be stopped if the country works quickly to bring it under control.
Infectious disease expert Dr Isaac Bogoch says Canada will “definitely” see more cases of the virus in the “next few days and weeks”.
“Unfortunately, this epidemic will dissipate for a while,” Bogoch told Your Morning on CTV on Friday.
However, if health officials act quickly, Bogoch said the outbreak in Canada could be stopped.
“Currently there are only 26 people in a country with 38 million people and the risk to the general population today is extremely, extremely small. But let’s play our cards right. “Let’s deal with this quickly and efficiently so that no one else has to get this infection and we just keep it under control,” he said.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said Thursday that there are currently 25 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Quebec and one confirmed case in Ontario. However, the health agency says several suspicious and probable cases are still being investigated.
Prior to that month, monkeypox was never discovered in Canada.
Despite the unexplained increase in cases in Canada and the growing number in other countries such as the United States, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, Bogoch says Canada has the tools to “quell this quickly” if federal and provincial health officials take a coordinated approach to vaccination. high risk.
“We have an outbreak of this at the moment, but there is no reason for it to happen and there is no reason for it to infect many people,” he said.
The PHAC said it was focusing on a “targeted approach to vaccination and treatment” in the wake of the current epidemic, and did not believe a mass vaccination campaign was needed.
There is no proven cure for the viral infection, but the smallpox vaccine is also known to protect against monkeypox with an efficiency of more than 85 percent. However, as the smallpox vaccine eradicated the disease, routine smallpox immunization for the general population ended in Canada in 1972.
PHAC has already delivered 1,000 doses of Imvamune measles vaccine to Quebec from Canada’s National Strategic Emergency Reserve. Due to limited supply, it is not yet clear who will qualify for the vaccines, but Bogoch said they will likely be reserved for close contacts and health workers.
Bogoch said that if vaccines are given to high-risk groups quickly, officials “can certainly prevent this from spreading and fewer Canadians should be affected.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MONKEY STAR
First discovered in 1958, smallpox is a rare disease caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as the one that causes smallpox. The disease was first discovered in colonies of monkeys used for research.
The disease was reported mainly in Central and West African countries, with the first case outside the continent reported in 2003 in the United States.
The virus is transmitted through contact with an infected animal, human or infected material. It is thought that human-to-human transmission occurs mainly through large respiratory droplets, which do not usually travel far and require prolonged close contact. Transmission from an animal can occur through bites or scratches, contact with animal blood or body fluids.
The symptoms of smallpox are similar to those of smallpox, but are generally milder. The first signs are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills and exhaustion.
The incubation period – the time interval between the initial infection and the onset of symptoms – for monkeypox is usually 6-13 days, but can vary up to 21 days, according to the PHAC.
The measles develops after the onset of fever and usually occurs one to three days later, sometimes longer. The rash usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, developing into distinct, raised bumps that then fill with fluid or pus.
Dr Howard Nju, deputy chief public health officer, said Canadians should be aware of these symptoms and seek medical attention, especially if they have an unexplained rash.
He added that people can avoid infection by “keeping a physical distance from people outside their homes.”
“In addition, wearing masks, covering up coughing and sneezing, and practicing frequent hand washing continue to be important, especially in public places,” Nju said.
Although the overall risk of monkeypox to the general public is low, Nju said it was important to remember that everyone is susceptible, although most cases in the country and others appear to be spread through sexual contact between men.
He added that more guidelines for identifying cases and tracking contacts will be published soon, along with infection prevention.
Monkeypox is endemic to animals in regions of West Africa, and while the cases have occurred in countries where it has not been endemic before, the cases usually involve people who have recently traveled from Africa.
What is unusual at the moment is that officials in many countries who do not normally deal with monkeypox see cases where the patient has no travel history, Nju said.
Due to the unexpected nature of the current epidemic, Njoo said health officials in Canada and abroad are investigating whether there are any changes from what was previously known about the rare disease, including the incubation period and mode of transmission.
He said that “global cases are not all similar in the way they present themselves”, and said that milder cases may even go undetected.
“Our understanding of the virus is still evolving, but I want to emphasize that this is a global response,” Nju said.
With files from Alexandra May Jones from CTVNews.ca and Solarina Ho
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