The total number of cases of monkeypox in Canada is now 159.
On Wednesday, Quebec reported 132 cases. Twenty-one cases were reported in Ontario, four in Alberta and two in British Columbia, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
There are currently around 1,900 confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide and more than 30 countries report outbreaks of viral disease.
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Monkeypox was first found in monkeys. It is caused by the genus Orthopoxvirus which is related to smallpox, according to the BC Center for Disease Control.
On May 19, Canada reported its first case of smallpox in Montreal.
Symptoms during the first stage of monkeypox can include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, back pain and exhaustion, PHAC states on its website.
During the second stage of the disease, a rash develops, usually between one and three days after the fever. The rash usually starts on the face or limbs, but can also affect other parts of the body.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that vaccines used during the smallpox eradication program could provide protection against smallpox, and added that second- and third-generation smallpox vaccines may be useful. .
The vaccine IMVAMUNE, a modified vaccine of Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, has been approved for the prevention of smallpox, says the WHO in its vaccines and immunization for smallpox: provisional guidance .
“Based on the risks and benefits currently being assessed and regardless of the supply of vaccines, mass vaccination for monkeypox is not required or recommended at this time,” the WHO states. “The spread of smallpox virus from human to human can be controlled through public health measures, such as early detection of cases, diagnosis and care, isolation and contact monitoring.”
Several studies have shown that smallpox vaccination is approximately 85% effective in preventing smallpox, according to Health Canada.
Adults 18 years of age and older who do not have contraindications to a vaccine may be offered the IMVAMUNE vaccine.
However, smallpox is not a new global health problem. Cases of monkeypox have been reported in 11 African countries since 1970: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Sudan. South.
In 2003, the United States became the first non-African country to report a smallpox outbreak.
With the announcement by the WHO of the creation of a new mechanism for sharing vaccines for smallpox outbreaks in more than 30 countries beyond Africa, some critics fear that the vaccine will be distributed to rich countries. ‘they can afford it.
– With Reuters and Associated Press archives
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