Canada has reported 890 cases of monkeypox as of Aug. 3, with Ontario reporting the most cases, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Wednesday.
Ontario reported 423 cases. There are 373 reported cases in Quebec, 78 in British Columbia, 13 in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan and one in the Yukon.
Monkeypox is a viral infectious disease related to smallpox, according to PHAC. The agency is working with provinces, territories and international partners to actively monitor the situation in Canada.
Read more: Monkeypox cases rise to 423: Public Health Ontario
Most people infected with monkeypox should recover on their own within a few weeks, but in some circumstances, people can become very sick and die, PHAC states on its website.
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Infected people usually develop symptoms five to 21 days after being exposed to the monkeypox virus, which includes a painful rash that can last 14 to 28 days.
The rash may be accompanied by other symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, and exhaustion.
PHAC advises infected people to isolate themselves at home and contact their health care provider or local public health authority.
2:28 Monkey pox case detected at Toronto shelter Monkey pox case detected at Toronto shelter
On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.
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“WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions except the European region where we assess the risk as high,” said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of August 3 there are 26,208 confirmed cases of smallpox in 87 countries.
Spain reported a second death from monkeypox on July 30. The two deaths are believed to be the first confirmed from the outbreak in the European Union, the Associated Press previously reported.
Monkey pox is spread from person to person, through contact with contaminated objects and from animals to humans, says the PHAC.
People can be infected during sexual contact, including oral and non-penetrative contact, when caring for an infected person, or when living in the same household with a person who carries the virus.
To minimize the risk of getting infected with the monkeypox virus, PHAC recommends that people use condoms, practice safe sex, and have fewer sexual partners.
Health officials in Montreal said men who have sex with men should get vaccinated against monkeypox instead of limiting the number of people they have sex with, the Canadian Press reported.
In Canada, adults 18 years of age and older are eligible for the IMVAMUNE vaccine, which was originally developed to prevent smallpox.
— With archives from The Canadian Press and Associated Press
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