The case, traced to a person in the South Island, was confirmed by the BC Center for Disease Control. Island Health is conducting contact tracing and notification. The risk to the public is “very low”, the health authority said in a statement, noting that people with monkeypox have mild symptoms and do not need any intervention. It said public health teams received confirmation of the monkeypox outbreak on Thursday. As of Friday, there have been 375 cases of monkeypox in Canada, including 18 in B.C. Quebec has the most cases with 248, followed by Ontario with 101. Health Canada says other countries where monkeypox is not normally seen are also reporting cases, “representing an extremely unusual event.” Surveillance in areas where monkeypox is considered non-endemic has been limited but is now being expanded. Public Health Canada says human-to-human transmission appears to occur between people in close physical contact with people who have symptoms. The World Health Organization provides updates on the global spread of the disease. Monkeypox generally does not spread easily between humans. Most, but not all, recent infections are among men who have sex with men. At Island Health, vaccinations are provided to high-risk contacts identified through contact tracing. Symptoms for monkeypox usually appear one to two weeks after exposure, but can take five to 21 days to appear, Island Health said. The disease can occur in two stages, with flu-like symptoms appearing first, followed by a rash, usually with pus-filled sores or blisters. People are considered infectious from the first appearance of symptoms until the sores peel, dry, and new skin appears. The virus can spread through skin contact or contact with clothing exposed to open wounds. More information about monkeypox is available through the BC CDC website at bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/monkeypox. [email protected]
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