Canada Has Confirmed Two Cases Of Monkeypox & It's The First Time It Has Been Found Here

Two cases of monkeypox in Canada have now been officially confirmed and this is the first time cases have been found in the country.

On May 19, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that two of the samples from Quebec sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory have since tested positive for monkeypox.

These are the first two cases to ever be confirmed in Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with the CDC and public health authorities in Quebec to investigate potential exposure and the contacts of a case of monkeypox that was recently identified in the U.S.

The U.S. citizen who is a confirmed case had recently travelled to Canada and it's believed that he might have been infected before or during his visit to Montreal.

On May 19, public health officials in Montreal reported that there were 17 suspected cases of monkeypox being investigated and some had been linked to the U.S. case, while some had been linked to travel.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said that monkeypox is a "zoonotic infectious disease" found in parts of central and western Africa that results in occasional human infections.

A small number of cases have been identified in other regions including the U.K. but there has never been a confirmed case of it in Canada before this.

"Person to person spread of monkeypox is uncommon," the Public Health Agency of Canada said. "However, when spread does occur between people the mode of transmission is through close contact with an infected individual."

That can include direct contact with their body fluids, respiratory droplets or monkeypox sores.

Close contact transmission can also happen by sharing clothing, bedding or common items that have been contaminated with their fluids or sores.

"As with many other diseases spread through close contact, people can lower their risk by maintaining physical distance, frequent hand and respiratory hygiene including masking," the Public Health Agency of Canada said.

Symptoms of monkeypox typically include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes, and then a rash that can appear within a few days of symptoms developing.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said the investigation is ongoing and more information is needed to figure out if there are "increased health risks" to people in this country.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.