Toronto reports 3 new monkeypox cases
Posted June 2, 2022 3:43 pm.
Last Updated June 2, 2022 3:53 pm.
Three more cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Toronto.
Toronto Public Health says that brings the total number of positive cases to five while an additional five cases are still under investigation. Ten other potential cases have been ruled out.
There was no further update on the latest cases.
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, travelled to a region where a confirmed case has been detected or been exposed to an infected animal. Individuals lacking an epidemiological link but with the required signs and symptoms including the rash are classified as suspected cases.
Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared eradicated around the globe in 1980.
It is typically milder than smallpox and can cause fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes and lesions all over the body.
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Monkeypox typically spreads from close person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or indirect contact through contaminated clothing or linens.
TPH said the virus does not spread easily between people and is not as transmissible as COVID-19. It 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,” Dr. Rita Shahin, Toronto’s associate medical officer of health, said last week.
Health officials have said the risk posed to the general public by monkeypox is low.
Earlier this week the World Health Organization said it doesn’t expect monkeypox outbreaks will lead to a pandemic, but warned that anyone is at potential risk of getting the disease.
