Public Health Canada monitoring monkeypox after confirmed case in U.S. with link to Canada

Canada’s public health agency says officials are closely monitoring the monkeypox virus after the first case was confirmed in the U.S. in a man that recently travelled to Canada.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) said Wednesday that a man had tested positive for monkeypox in a news release. The DPH says health officials are working closely with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify other people who may have been in contact with the patient while he was infectious.

On Thursday, Montreal health officials confirmed 17 cases of monkeypox are under investigation, mainly all in men 30 to 55 years old. Fifteen cases in Montreal, one on the south shore and one on the North Shore.

Montreal Public Health Director Dr. Mylène Drouin confirmed the news on Thursday at a press conference.

Read more: Montreal monkeypox cases under investigation

“We do not have to panic at the time we are speaking,” said Dr. Drouin. “It’s not something you can acquire when you’re at the grocery store or on public transportation.” She says it cannot spread through the community in that way and it is not a sexually transmitted disease.

Across the country, officials say they are aware of the concern.

“PHAC is aware of and closely monitoring the current situation concerning the reporting of monkeypox cases in Europe,” they said. “Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, Canada, along with 195 other countries, is legally bound to report potential public health emergencies worldwide to work together for global health security.”

The health agency says that PHAC officials have alerted provincial and territorial public health authorities and laboratory partners across Canada to be alert for and investigate any potential cases.

“As the situation evolves, we will continue to keep Canadians informed.”

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a viral disease usually spread by touching or getting bitten by infected wild animals like rats or squirrels in western and central Africa. Human-to-human transmission can occur through contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, internal mucosal surfaces, and respiratory droplets.

The early symptoms of monkeypox include fever, muscle ache, chills and fatigue. In more severe cases, a rash can often develop on the face and genitals, which resembles those seen in chickenpox and smallpox.

Most people recover from the illness within several weeks and does not typically spread easily among people. Still, British health officials say it’s possible if there was extremely close contact with an infected person.

Monkeypox has not previously been documented to have spread through sex but can be transmitted through close contact with infected people, their clothing or bedsheets. Monkeypox is not known to be a sexually transmitted disease.

“Suspected cases may present with early flu-like symptoms and progress to lesions that may begin on one side of the body and spread to other parts,” the DPH said.

“Illness could be clinically confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with varicella-zoster virus.”

Global cases of monkeypox on the rise

Portuguese health authorities on Wednesday confirmed five cases of monkeypox in young men, and Britain announced another two, marking an unusual outbreak in Europe of a disease typically limited to Africa.

Authorities said that all the Portuguese cases involve men, most of them young. They have skin lesions and were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities did not say if the men had a history of travel to Africa or any links with recent cases in Britain or elsewhere.

British health authorities said Wednesday they had identified two new cases of monkeypox, one in London and another in southeast England. They said neither case had previously travelled to Africa and that it was possible they were infected in the U.K.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the face and body. Photo: Science Photo Library.

Since early May 2022, the United Kingdom has identified nine cases of monkeypox. The cases had no known links to other previously confirmed patients, suggesting there may be multiple chains of monkeypox transmission already happening in the country.

Dr. Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser of Britain’s Health Security Agency, said the latest cases, alongside the other infections reported in Europe, “confirms our initial concerns that there could be spread of monkeypox within our communities.”

The agency said recent cases had been seen “predominantly in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men,” although it noted it was unclear how exactly people had been infected.

Monkeypox has not previously been documented to have spread through sex, but can be transmitted through close contact with infected people, their clothing or bedsheets.

With files from The Associated Press