OTTAWA-
Federal officials say there are 168 confirmed cases of smallpox in Canada.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says 141 cases were reported in Quebec on Friday, 21 in Ontario, four in Alberta and two in British Columbia.
The Canadian public health official says all infections have been in men between the ages of 20 and 69.
Dr. Theresa Tam said in a press conference that many cases have been related to sexual contact with other men, but the virus can be spread to anyone who has had close physical contact with an infected person.
Tam says local health authorities have indicated that the growth rate is slowing and that they will follow the path of the disease over the coming weeks.
Montreal officials on Tuesday extended the city’s immunization campaign to all men who have sex with men, and Toronto began organizing clinics to immunize high-risk people earlier this week.
Smallpox vaccine belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, and smallpox vaccines have been shown to be effective in fighting the related virus.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 17, 2022.