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The province’s health chief issued a public warning about the virus on Saturday, asking people to be aware of the symptoms and get tested.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab speaks in the lobby of the TC Douglas Building on Saturday, August 13, 2022, in Regina. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
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Health officials are warning that the monkeypox virus may spread to Saskatchewan, after several cases outside the province have been linked to the province as a site of exposure.
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Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Saqib Shahab issued a public warning about the virus on Saturday, asking people to be aware of the symptoms and be diligent in seeking evidence.
Three cases have been reported in Saskatchewan since early July, Shahab said, all linked to transmission or travel outside the province.
Shahab said transmission has now been detected and reported to the province by out-of-province travelers who were exposed in Saskatchewan, prompting the advisory.
“We’re at a stage where we think people are at high risk,” Shahab said. “We think the situation has changed in the last week (and) there’s a greater risk that we could see an ongoing transmission in Saskatchewan.”
Monkey pox is primarily transmitted through prolonged skin-to-skin or face-to-face contact or with items such as bedclothes or other surfaces contaminated by a person while infectious. A person can remain infectious for 5 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, Public Health said.
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Shahab said transmission without close contact or with an asymptomatic person “is rare,” but public health is still looking to raise awareness about the virus.
He said it is extremely important for people to know the risk of transmission and the visible symptoms to help keep the outbreak manageable.
“All of us should be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox right now, but especially if you think you’ve been in close contact,” Shahab said.
Communities at risk
To date, transmission has been reported in the LGBTQ2S+ and men who have sex with men (MSM), who are currently considered to be at high risk of exposure to the virus.
Individuals are advised to be especially cautious with anonymous sex partners and to be aware of symptom surveillance.
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“It’s very difficult to let people know if you’ve had (anonymous) contact,” Shahab said. “It is advisable, while this outbreak occurs, to limit the number of partners and avoid having anonymous partners who are difficult to contact.”
With the increased risk of transmission, Shahab said the province is making the monkeypox vaccine more widely available.
Eligibility for vaccines has been expanded
Previously, eligibility for the vaccine only included adults who had already been in contact with monkeypox. The criteria will now be expanded to include pre-exposure individuals, who are considered high risk.
“Having this more focused approach has really helped (other jurisdictions) get ahead of the outbreak,” Shahab said. “We hope that by taking this approach in Saskatchewan, we can try to avoid a rapid or large increase in cases.”
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People at high risk, according to public health, must be transgender, identify as bispiritual, bisexual, gay or MSM and have recently had a sexually transmitted infection, have or plan to have sexual contact with one or more partners in the past six months, or plan to travel to an area that is reporting cases of smallpox in the next three months.
The vaccine is currently given as a single dose, but could become a multi-dose immunization as public health follows the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
Shahab said when the federal government deployed 99,000 doses to the provinces and territories, Saskatchewan was allocated 150 doses and has used seven so far, but more are on the way.
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“We have ordered additional vaccines now that we offer pre-exposure prophylaxis (and) we will continue to do so on demand,” Shahab said.
Tests are important
People are encouraged to contact HealthLine 811 with concerns about possible exposure, symptoms or questions about the vaccine to facilitate testing.
“It’s important to look for evidence, exactly for the reason that we don’t want to lose cases,” Shahab said.
Currently, testing volumes are low, Shahab said, but people are encouraged to seek testing if they have any concerns.
“We are monitoring the situation very closely and we believe we have not missed a single case so far,” Shahab said. “We just want to do our best in this initial surge and keep the number of cases down.”
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Approximately 30,000 cases have been reported worldwide since the outbreak began in April, with about 1,000 cases identified in Canada, primarily in Quebec and Ontario, but also in Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan.
Public health director Dr Theresa Tam said on Friday that sewage analysis can be used to track transmission rates of monkey pox, similar to COVID-19. The World Health Organization declared the virus an international emergency on July 23.
Shahab this tool is not currently used in Saskatchewan as the number of cases remains too low, but could be used if needed.
“If there was a concern that we lacked transmission, the wastewater would be useful,” Shahab said.
lkurz@postmedia.com
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