With 26 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, health officials warn that more cases are likely to be reported in the coming days and weeks. However, an expert says the outbreak could be stopped if the country works quickly to control it.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch says Canada will “definitely” see more cases of the virus in the “next few days and weeks.”
“This outbreak will unfortunately collapse for a while,” Bogoch told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.
However, if health officials act quickly, Bogoch said the outbreak in Canada could be stopped.
“Currently, there are only 26 people in a country of 38 million people and the risk of the general population today is extremely, extremely small. But we play our cards right. Let’s deal with it quickly and effectively so that no one else s “I have to get this infection and we just have it under control,” he said.
The Public Health Agency of Canada announced Thursday that there are now 25 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Quebec and one confirmed case in Ontario. However, the health agency says several suspicious and probable cases are still being investigated.
Earlier this month, smallpox was never detected in Canada.
Despite the unexplained increase in cases in Canada and a growing number in other countries such as the United States, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom, Bogoch says Canada has the tools to “suppress it quickly” if health officials federal and provincial authorities make a decision. coordinated approach to vaccinating high-risk individuals.
“We have an outbreak of this right now, but there is no reason to let this go to waste and there is no reason for this to infect a lot of people,” he said.
The PHAC said they are focusing on a “vaccination and treatment-focused approach” amid the current outbreak and do not believe a mass vaccination campaign is needed.
There is no proven treatment for the virus infection, but it is known that the smallpox vaccine also protects against smallpox, with an effectiveness of over 85%. Because the smallpox vaccine eradicated the disease, however, routine smallpox immunization for the general population ended in Canada in 1972.
PHAC has already supplied Quebec with 1,000 doses of the Imvamune smallpox vaccine from Canada’s National Strategic Emergency Stock. Due to limited supply, it is not yet clear who will be eligible for the vaccines, but Bogoch said they will likely be reserved for close contacts and health workers.
Bogoch said that if vaccines are given quickly to high-risk groups, officials “will surely be able to prevent the spread of this and fewer Canadians will need to be affected.”
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MONKEYPOX
First discovered in 1958, smallpox is a rare disease caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as smallpox. The disease was first found in monkey colonies used for research.
The disease has been reported mainly in Central and West African countries, and the first case outside the continent was reported in 2003 in the United States.
The virus is transmitted by contact with an infected animal, human or contaminated material. Transmission between people is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets, which generally do not travel far and would require prolonged close contact. The transmission of an animal can be through bites or scratches, contact with the blood or body fluids of an animal.
The symptoms of smallpox are similar to those of smallpox, but usually milder. The first signs are fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, chills and exhaustion.
The incubation period (the time between the initial infection and the onset of symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 6 to 13 days, but can be as long as 21 days, according to PHAC.
The “smallpox” develops after the onset of fever and usually appears between one and three days later, sometimes more. A rash usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, developing into various high bumps that then fill with fluid or pus.
Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy director of public health, said Canadians should be aware of these symptoms and seek medical attention, especially if they have an unexplained rash.
He added that people can prevent the infection by “keeping physical distance from people outside their homes”.
“Also, wearing masks, covering up for coughing and sneezing, and frequent hand washing is still important, especially in public spaces,” Njoo said.
While the overall risk of monkeypox for the general public is low, Njoo said it is important to remember that everyone is susceptible, although most cases in the country and others seem to be transmitted through contact. sexual intercourse between men.
He added that more guidance on case identification and contact tracking will be published soon, along with infection prevention.
Smallpox is endemic in animals in West African regions, and although cases have occurred in countries where it was not endemic before, the cases usually involve people who have recently traveled from an African country.
What’s unusual right now is that officials in many countries who don’t usually treat monkeypox are seeing cases where the patient has no history of travel, Njoo said.
Due to the unexpected nature of the current outbreak, Njoo said health officials in Canada and abroad are looking to see if there is any change from what was previously known about the rare disease, including the incubation period and the method. transmission.
He said global cases “are not all the same in the way they are presented,” and said that even the mildest cases may not be detected.
“Our understanding of the virus is still evolving, but I want to emphasize that this is a global response,” Njoo said.
With files by Alexandra Mae Jones and Solarina Ho from CTVNews.ca