First case of clade I mpox in Canada confirmed in Manitoba

MonkeyPox has arrived in Manitoba but the risk to the overall public is low. 

Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care announced the diagnosis Friday, saying it’s a travel-related case associated with an outbreak in central and eastern Africa and the first case of its kind in Manitoba and in Canada. 

“The individual was assessed and diagnosed shortly after returning to Manitoba and is currently isolating,” said a news release from the government. “Based on travel history and symptoms, specimens were tested and confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory.”

According to the news release, there are two types of monkeypox, one of which has been circulating globally and in Canada since 2022, but the recent strain diagnosed has not yet been reported in Canada. 

It explained that MonkeyPox, or Mpox, is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus related to vaccinia, cowpox, and variola, or smallpox, viruses. 

Mpox does not spread easily between people unless there is close contact and the province says a public health investigation, including contact tracing, is ongoing. 

Symptoms of Mpox can include a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and fever, with the province noting while some people fully recover, others can become very sick. 

Close contact can include sexual or intimate contact, household contact, or through contaminated materials like sheets or towels, alongside contact with infected animals