Dr. Teresa Tam gave this speech in Ottawa on August 12:
Bonjour à toutes et à tous. Today we will provide an update on the response to the monkeypox outbreak in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to work closely with international, provincial and territorial partners on prevention and control activities to contain the spread of monkeypox virus in Canada.
Globally, as of August 10, more than 31,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported in 91 countries, territories and areas in the six designated regions of the World Health Organization. This represents a 19 percent increase in global cases in the latest reporting week, compared to the previous week.
In Canada, as of August 12, a total of 1059 monkeypox cases have been reported nationally, including 511 cases in Ontario, 426 in Quebec, 98 in British Columbia, 19 in Alberta, 3 in Saskatchewan and 2 in the Yukon. Among the cases for which additional information is available, more than 99% are men and the average age was 35 years.
Monkeypox infection is usually a self-limiting disease, and although most people recover on their own after a few weeks, the rash that accompanies it can be painful and affect any part of the body. In some circumstances, people can become very ill, and in rare cases, death can occur.
To date, 28 hospitalizations, including 2 ICU admissions, and no deaths have been reported from monkeypox in Canada.
Consistent with international trends, the majority of confirmed cases in Canada with available exposure history information reported intimate sexual contact with other men. Nationally, less than one percent of confirmed cases with available information on age and sex were in women or people under 20 years of age. Internationally, women and young people also account for 1% or less of reported cases.
Health Canada’s chief medical officers have created a Special Advisory Committee (or SAC) on the monkeypox response, as was done for COVID-19 more than two years ago. So far, our discussions have focused on testing, working with community organizations to raise awareness of ways to limit the spread of the virus, and rolling out the Imvamune vaccine and therapeutics.
While the global outbreak of monkeypox remains a serious concern, by focusing efforts on affected communities in Canada and around the world, including vaccinations, we have an opportunity to contain the spread.
To date, the Government of Canada has deployed more than 99,000 doses of Imvamune vaccine to provinces and territories, with more than 50,000 people vaccinated as of August 11.
Increasing awareness and understanding is critical. Public education to equip people with the information they need to make informed decisions is an essential part of our response. Local community organizations are doing excellent work in this space, including getting information directly to those most at risk, and the Government of Canada has provided funding to support their work.
In the current outbreak in Canada, we are largely seeing person-to-person spread. This can happen when someone has close contact with the body fluids, respiratory droplets or skin sores of an infected person. It can also happen through direct contact with clothing, bedding, or other personal items that have been in contact with someone infected with the monkeypox virus.
It is important to note that anyone, regardless of their sex, gender, race or sexual orientation, can become infected or spread the virus. We urge everyone to know the symptoms of monkey pox and to learn how to reduce the risk of becoming infected and passing the virus on to others.
Common symptoms include a rash or sores on the skin anywhere on the body, which may be accompanied by general symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes.
If you think you may have been infected with the monkeypox virus, we recommend that you stay home and isolate yourself from others. If you think you have been infected or have come into contact with someone who has monkeypox, it is important to contact your health care provider or local public health authority immediately.
As we learn more about monkeypox, we will continue to provide updates, including on the canada.ca/monkeypox website, to ensure that people in Canada have the information they need to understand the risks and what precautions they can take to protect themselves your health
Thanks—Merci—Miigwetch
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