Health officials in Toronto say they are investigating the first suspected case of monkeypox in the city.
In a news release Saturday afternoon, the Toronto Department of Public Health (TPH) said a suspected infection was found in a man in his 40s.
TPH said the patient had recently been in contact with someone who had traveled to Montreal and is currently hospitalized in a stable condition and recovering.
Members of the public may have been exposed to the virus if they attended the Axis Club (located at 722 College Street) on May 14 or Woody’s bar (at 467 Church Street) on May 13 5 or 14 May.
Officials stress that the risk to the public is very low.
“Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus commonly found in Central and West Africa. It was first identified in monkeys, but its origin remains unknown,” TPH said in the release.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
In most cases, people with monokypox recover on their own without treatment, TPH says.
The news comes after health officials in Quebec confirmed three cases of the virus on Friday, on top of two that had been confirmed a day earlier.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is investigating about two dozen potentially infectious cases of monkeypox on confirmed cases in Quebec and says the virus itself is also spread when close contact for a long time.
It’s not yet clear how widespread the virus is in the country, but Canada’s top doctor said PHAC is looking into providing a smallpox vaccine – which could protect against smallpox in monkeys – to prevent infection. .
“Quebec has some concerns about contacts that are currently being discussed, but of course we need to know some of the epidemiology as quickly as possible,” Public Health Director Dr Theresa Tam said today. Thursday.
Meanwhile, TPH is advising close contacts of people with a suspected or confirmed case to monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. If symptoms develop, they should self-isolate, seek care, and get tested.
With files from the Canadian Press
