Monkeypox case count rises to 16 in Quebec: health officials
Posted May 25, 2022 9:51 am.
Last Updated May 25, 2022 4:39 pm.
The total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in Quebec jumped to 16, after health officials in the province added 10 new cases to the tally Tuesday night and another one Wednesday evening.
Last week Quebec reported the first cases of the virus in Canada.
Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. It spreads through prolonged closed contact, including direct contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets, bodily fluids or sores.
In general it does not spread easily between people.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and lesions.
There were 17 suspected cases in and around Montreal as of May 17. Those cases were believed to be linked to a person who travelled from Boston to Montreal.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said last week it was investigating about two dozen possible cases of monkeypox across the country.
Toronto Public Health said over the weekend it was investigating Ontario’s first suspected case. Health officials say the case is a man in his 40s who had contact with someone who had recently travelled to Montreal.
READ: Monkeypox: What is it? Q&A with infectious diseases specialist
On Tuesday, Ottawa said Quebec had accepted an offer to receive a small shipment of vaccines against the disease.
“I know Canadians are concerned,” said Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos in a statement. “I want to underscore that the health and safety of all Canadians remain our top priority… There are many actions underway to identify and contain the spread of monkeypox in Canada.
“Our surveillance system is working, as is our testing system, though we will continue to refine both, including supporting provinces and territories in building their own testing capacities so cases can be identified and traced even more efficiently.”
—With files from The Canadian Press
