Monkeypox cases in Canada rise by 59% in 9 days

Canada now has 477 confirmed cases of monkeypox, with numbers climbing in three provinces over the last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Wednesday.

Canada now has 477 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country, with numbers climbing in three provinces over the last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Wednesday.

Since July 4, a total of 177 new cases have been confirmed in the country, representing a 59 per cent increase in case numbers over the last nine days.

Quebec continues to have the lion’s share of the viral disease, with 284 cases as of July 13, up from 211 cases last week.

But Ontario saw the biggest increase in cases of all the provinces, going from 77 cases as of July 4 to now confirming 156 cases. British Columbia also saw an increase in cases for the first time in weeks, with 29 cases now confirmed compared to four previously. Alberta continues to have just eight cases confirmed, unchanged from the last update.

Monkeypox, which causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, is transmitted to humans from animals caused by an orthopoxvirus, which is related to smallpox, according to PHAC.

Individuals can be infected through direct contact with an infected person or by shared contaminated objects, including bed linens or towels.

“PHAC is continuing to collect and analyze epidemiological information reported by the provinces and territories to help define the national scope of the investigation and to determine if there are any increased health risks to people in Canada,” the agency said in a statement released Wednesday.

Around 60 countries in which monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with confirmed cases now at 10,400. The disease mainly occurs in west and central Africa and only occasionally spreads elsewhere.