Peterborough Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the region.
The case was reported to the health unit on Wednesday. Contact search efforts have been completed and case management continues for the person whose location was not provided.
The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.
Read more: Monkeypox has half of Canadians worried but more confident in health response: poll
“Residents can rest assured that those who have been in contact with the case have been notified,” the health unit said. “The contacts in the case are being offered a vaccine as a form of post-exposure prophylaxis.”
The monkeypox virus is transmitted between animals and humans through close and prolonged contact. The health unit says that while the smallpox of the monkey belongs to the same family as the smallpox, the smallpox of the monkey has much milder symptoms and is less contagious.
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“The monkeypox virus has been circulating in Ontario for the past few weeks,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott. “We anticipated that it would reach our region and we are ready to support case and contact efforts.
“Monkeypox is not easily transmitted between people, but we recommend that everyone be aware of the signs and symptoms of the virus and seek immediate medical attention if there are any symptoms.”
Symptoms can occur between five and 21 days after exposure to someone who has the virus. Symptoms may include:
- Rash or blister in the mouth and around the genitals
- swollen lymph nodes
- Fever and chills
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Exhaustion
Residents with symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. The health unit says that while there is no treatment for the virus, the symptoms can be managed and people usually recover in two to four weeks.
2:14 More than half of Canadians are confident in the monkeypox response, but 55% are worried about the spread: poll Previous video Next video
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