The Windsor County Essex Health Unit has confirmed the first local case of monkeypox.
Officials say a Windsor-Essex resident has been diagnosed with monkeypox after lab tests. The Health Unit says they are notifying the community of the first confirmed case of smallpox to keep residents informed, but due to the client’s privacy and confidentiality, no further details will be shared publicly.
“Right now, the risk of transmitting monkeypox to the community remains low,” says the acting health official, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai. “Although cases have been identified mostly among men who report sexual or intimate contact with other men, anyone can suffer from monkeypox. The most commonly reported risk factors include having sexual or intimate contact with a new partner and / or more than one “.
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The Health Unit says monkeypox has been confirmed in other parts of Ontario since the spring of this year.
They say the disease is a viral disease that comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. Monkeypox is usually transmitted through close contact with body fluids, rashes, and scabs from infected people or animals.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion, followed by the development of a rash. The time from infection to symptoms is usually 7 to 14 days. Although monkeypox can infect people of all ages, some people have a higher risk of developing serious illnesses, including children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people.
The Health Unit says they have been working with local health providers to monitor and identify other potential cases in the community.
For more information about Monkeypox, you can visit the Monkeypox page of the Health Unit: