Toronto confirms first case of monkeypox, 6 other cases under investigation

Toronto has its first confirmed case of monkeypox.

Toronto Public Health says the individual is currently in stable condition and recovering in hospital. No further details were released.

The health unit also confirmed that two other residents who were suspected of having the virus have since tested negative. However, five newly-suspected cases are now under investigation. Initially, TPH said it was looking at three newly-suspected cases.

This brings the total number of probable cases to one and suspect cases to five.

“The probable case did travel to Montreal and was in contact with our confirmed case. We have no information on the suspected cases and any connection to Montreal yet,” said Dr. Rita Shahin, Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health, tells CityNews.

The six individuals are currently recovering at home while laboratory testing is done to confirm if they have the virus.

A probable case is defined as a person with signs and symptoms of the virus including a rash and contact with a confirmed or probable case, travel to a region where a confirmed case has been detected or exposure to an infected animal. Individuals lacking an epidemiological link but with the required signs and symptoms including the rash are classified as suspected cases.

Over the weekend, TPH indicated anyone who attended an event at the Axis Club, at 722 College St., on May 14, and Woody’s Bar, at 467 Church St., on May 13 and May 14, may have been exposed to monkeypox.

Shahin says monkeypox is a disease that is slow to spread and seems to require more prolonged contact, or skin-to-skin contact.

“It’s not a disease that is easily spread as COVID, it usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact. In addition its important that if you have lesions, you keep them covered up and stay isolated. If you are in close contact with someone who has lesions, that can put you at risk.”

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Quebec, meanwhile, will be the first Canadian province to launch a vaccination campaign against the monkeypox virus, adding that 25 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the Montreal area.

Interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said Thursday the province has received doses of the smallpox vaccine Imvamune from the federal government and could begin administering shots to people as early as Friday. Boileau added 30 suspected cases of the disease are under investigation in addition to the 25 confirmed cases.

Shahin says Toronto officials are waiting for guidance from the province when it comes to accessing a vaccine and anti-viral drugs to treat monkeypox.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared eradicated around the globe in 1980.

Monkeypox is typically milder than smallpox and can cause fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and lesions all over the body.

Health officials have said the risk posed by monkeypox is low.