Toronto Confirms Its First Case Of Monkeypox & There Are 4 Other Suspected Cases

Toronto Public Health (TPH) confirmed their first reported case of the monkeypox virus on Thursday.

Thankfully, TPH said in a press release that they received laboratory confirmation that two other Torontonians who were "categorized as suspected cases have tested negative."

They also received four "newly-suspected cases of monkeypox."

"This brings the total number of probable cases to one and suspect cases to four," they stated. "These five individuals are undergoing laboratory testing to confirm if they have this virus and are currently recovering at home."

Some of the signs and symptoms of someone with monkeypox include having a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes.

The rash usually appears after a few days of being exposed and "starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body."

Fortunately, most people can actually recover on their own without any treatment, which is great news.

The virus is a rare disease normally found in some regions in Central and West Africa and was identified in monkeys. Apparently, the virus does not spread easily between humans, but someone can get it through contact with body fluids or through "respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact."

It's important to remember that it can also be spread through bites and scratches from infected animals, so be careful out there!

And remember, "if symptoms develop, they should self-isolate, seek care and get tested. Health care providers are reminded that individuals suspected of monkeypox infection must be reported to Public Health Ontario."