On Wednesday, Canada reported a 59 percent increase in monkeypox cases in the past week — mirroring a trend of increasing cases reported around the world.
Read more: Monkeypox cases in Canada rise 59% in 9 days
Although cases are increasing, the risk to the general population remains low — but that doesn’t mean Canadians shouldn’t be vigilant, health experts say. “If you’re not part of that community that’s at risk right now, that doesn’t mean you’re impervious to the virus. It just means that for now, it’s not something you should be concerned about or worried about,” said Dr. Don Winn, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University Health Centre. Story continues below ad “I would suggest that you allow the medical, scientific and public health communities to shoulder that burden of stress. We will take the necessary steps to try to intervene either on an individual or community level, but I don’t think people need to panic or worry other than to be informed or educated.”
Monkeypox outbreak rates climbing in Canada
Canada now has 477 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country since it emerged as part of the unusual global outbreak that began in May. Between July 4 and 13, a total of 177 new cases have been confirmed in the country, representing a 59 percent increase in the number of cases during that time frame. 2:46 WHO director calls for increased testing, more access to vaccines and antivirals to fight monkeypox WHO director calls for increased testing, more access to vaccines and antivirals to fight monkeypox – June 29, 2022 Quebec continues to have the largest share of the viral disease, with 284 cases as of July 13, up from 211 last week. Story continues below ad However, Ontario saw the largest increase in cases of all provinces, reaching 156 cases from 77 cases on July 4. British Columbia also saw an increase in cases for the first time in weeks, with 29 confirmed cases compared to four previously. Alberta continues to have just eight confirmed cases, unchanged from the last update. While confirmed cases factor into the increased toll, other reasons such as enhanced surveillance also play a role, said Dr. Sameer Elsayed, an infectious disease specialist at Western University. “There is more awareness of the disease,” he said. “Most people think of monkeypox when they see someone with a rash that may be compatible with monkeypox.”
Read more: Monkeypox — More than 6,000 cases reported, prompting 2nd WHO emergency meeting
Monkeypox, which causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, is transmitted to humans from animals caused by an orthopoxvirus, which is related to smallpox, according to Public Health Canada. People can become infected through direct contact with an infected person or from shared contaminated objects, including bedding or towels. About 60 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported cases of the disease, with confirmed cases now at 10,400. The disease occurs mainly in west and central Africa and only occasionally spreads elsewhere. Trending Stories
New wildfire near Lytton, B.C., still recovering, may have destroyed structures: officials Georgia woman left paralyzed in ICU after chiropractor visit, family says
Story continues below ad The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that the monkeypox emergency committee will meet again on July 21 to review trends in the outbreak and how effective the countermeasures taken against the virus have been. 2:14 More than half of Canadians confident about monkeypox response, but 55% worried about spread: poll More than half of Canadians confident about monkeypox response, but 55% worried about spread spread: poll – 17 June 2022 The committee will also make recommendations on what countries and communities should do to deal with the outbreak, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s anything like COVID-19 in terms of hitting the panic button and saying we have a global public health threat,” Elsayed said. “We have a public health concern.”
Vaccine rollout underway in Canada, but should the strategy change?
Last month, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended that Canadians at high risk of contracting monkeypox — not just those who are infected — get vaccinated. Story continues below ad Anyone at high risk of exposure to a possible or confirmed case of monkeypox, or who has visited an environment where transmission of the virus is occurring, should receive one dose of the Imvammune vaccine, NACI said. NACI also said vaccines may be offered to people who are immunocompromised, pregnant or breastfeeding, or to children and youth if they are at higher risk of exposure.
Read more: Ontario smallpox cases not rising fast, vaccine strategy working, Moore says
Imvamune, commonly used to treat smallpox, is approved by Health Canada to treat monkeypox. Ideally, those who have been exposed to this virus should get their vaccine within four days of exposure, Canada’s health chief, Dr. Theresa Tam, said on June 10. Quebec has been vaccinating close contacts of confirmed or suspected monkeypox cases since late May, vaccinating thousands since then. In Toronto, the city hosts community clinics that offer the Imvamune vaccine to people at risk. As of July 4, nearly 6,000 at-risk people had received a shot since June 30. Meanwhile, Vancouver Coastal Health is opening more monkeypox vaccine clinics, increasing access to people 18 and older who are transgender or LGBTQ2 and meet additional high-risk criteria. Story continues below ad
Read more: Ontario Public Health reports 1st confirmed female case of monkeypox
To date, officials have said there is no need for mass vaccination for the general population. The unusual spread of monkeypox is circulating mainly among men who have sex with men, but the characteristics of the virus do not limit it to one group, experts say. Ontario reported its first case of monkeypox in a woman on Thursday. Those at risk may include those in close contact with an infected person, whether they are health care workers or family members, Elsayed said. But with monkeypox spreading globally, other countries are also vaccinating high-risk groups, increasing demand on supply and straining resources, Vinh said. “We also need to remember that because there are limited supplies, we need to focus on the groups at greatest risk first in the same way we did when we had a limited supply of the COVID vaccine and targeted the elderly,” he said. “What we need to do is use the vaccine wisely.” 1:30 Monkeypox virus ‘behaves unusual’, says WHO as panel assesses risk Monkeypox virus ‘behaves unusual’, says WHO as panel assesses risk – June 14, 2022 Elsayed agrees. Story continues below ad “With COVID, we used a ‘throw the kitchen’ approach where we hit COVID so hard, we actually damaged our health care system by ignoring other elements of health. We are short staffed. We have cancer diagnoses that are delayed,” he said. “Just target the highest risk groups, which is men who have sex with men, health care workers… maybe family members, those would be the people I would vaccinate. I wouldn’t vaccinate the general population like we do with COVID at all.” In addition to vaccination, public health practices such as distancing, hand washing and masking that Canadians have learned to manage COVID-19 can also be applied to monkeypox, Elsayed added. “The main thing is to educate people to say that you should avoid contact with people who are potentially at high risk or people who may have symptoms consistent with monkeypox,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with education – you can advise people on what to do, but you can’t control what people do.” — with files from Teresa Wright. © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
