There have been outbreaks of the rare, infectious disease in Quebec, the U.K., Spain, Portugal and the U.S.
Article content
Just as COVID-19 is receding, another virus is making headlines. Canadian officials are investigating 17 suspected cases of monkeypox, a rare infectious disease that has also been recently detected in Europe and the U.S.
Advertisement 2
Article content
The virus is not likely to lead to a pandemic, but can be a serious disease, with a fatality rate ranging from one to 10 per cent, said the World Health Organization.
In Canada, cases have been contained to Quebec so far. Here’s what you need to know.
Q: What is monkeypox?
A: Monkeypox is a rare viral infection first discovered in 1958 among monkeys kept for research.
The first human case was recorded in 1970 in a nine-month-old boy in the Congo.
Since then, monkeypox cases have been reported in several African countries, including Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, mostly in rural, rainforest regions.
Historically, monkeypox is typically limited to Africa. Cases outside the continent are rare and usually linked to international travel or imported animals, usually rodents. That’s why the new rash of recent cases in Europe and North America has triggered concern.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Q: Where have there been cases of monkeypox?
A: Canadian health officials are investigating 17 suspected cases in the Montreal area. The first cases were reported on May 12 from clinics specializing in sexually-transmitted diseases. Most of the cases are among men who have had sexual relations with men, and are between 30 to 55 years old. The cases are not severe.
Montreal public health director Dr. Mylene Drouin had said that although the infections were likely acquired through sexual activity, monkeypox is not considered a sexually-transmitted disease, “and we don’t want to stigmatize one particular community.”
In the U.S., one confirmed case of monkeypox infection has been found in a man who travelled to Montreal and returned to Massachusetts in early May.
Advertisement 4
Article content
Other cases have been reported in Britain, Portugal and Spain.
Q: How contagious is it?
A: Monkeypox is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human or contaminated objects It can enter the body through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose and mouth).
The virus doesn’t spread easily between people. Human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets, and through close and prolonged contact, said experts.
Health officials said there is no risk in contracting the virus through activities like eating at restaurants or taking public transit.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: Symptoms are similar to smallpox, but milder. It usually begins with flu-like symptoms — fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue — followed by a bumpy rash, or pox, which starts on the chest and spreads to the hands and feet. Monkeypox infection is also characterized by swollen lymph nodes.
Advertisement 5
Article content
The Public Health Agency of Canada says incubation is approximately seven to 17 days.
Q: How serious is it?
A: Cases are usually mild and most people recover within two weeks to a month. But it can be deadly. The fatality rate is between one to 10 per cent, depending on the strain of the virus. The Congo Basin strain has a fatality rate of 10 per cent, while the West African strain is milder with a one per cent death rate. In the U.K, infections have been identified to be caused by the West African strain. It is not clear what strain patients in Quebec contracted.
Q: How is it treated?
A: The U.S. Centre for Disease Control says there’s no proven treatment for the disease. Treatment is usually to ease symptoms. There is no cure or specific vaccine against monkeypox, but data shows the smallpox vaccine is about 85 per cent effective against monkeypox.
— with files from Reuters and Canadian Press
More news, fewer ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 per week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.
