Monkeypox: 890 cases reported in Canada, majority in Ontario | Globalnews.ca

Canada has reported 890 cases of monkeypox through Aug. 3, with Ontario reporting the most cases, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Wednesday.

Ontario reported 423 cases. 373 cases were reported in Quebec, 78 in British Columbia, 13 in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in Yukon.

Monkeypox is a viral infectious disease related to smallpox, according to the PHAC. The agency works with provinces, territories and international partners to actively monitor the situation in Canada.

Most people infected with monkeypox could recover on their own after a few weeks, but in certain circumstances people can become very ill and die, PHAC explains on its website.

Infected people usually develop symptoms, which include a painful rash that can last anywhere from 14 to 28 days, five to 21 days after exposure to the monkeypox virus.

The rash may be accompanied by other symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, and fatigue.

PHAC advises people who are infected to isolate at home and contact their healthcare provider or local health authority.

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Case of monkeypox discovered in Toronto

On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.

“The WHO estimates that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions except the European region, where we estimate the risk to be high,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of August 3, there were 26,208 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 87 countries.

Spain reported a second death from monkeypox on July 30. Those two deaths are believed to be the first confirmed since the outbreak in the European Union, the Associated Press previously reported.

Monkeypox spreads from person to person through contact with contaminated objects and from animals to people, according to PHAC.

People can become infected through sexual contact — including oral and nonpenetrative contact, while caring for an infected person, or if they live in the same household with a person who carries the virus.

To minimize the risk of contracting the monkeypox virus, PHAC recommends individuals use condoms, practice safe sex, and have fewer sexual partners.

Montreal health officials said men who have sex with men should get the monkeypox vaccine rather than limit 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 prevent smallpox.

— With files from The Canadian Press and Associated Press