15 Aug 2024 | 03:00 PM UTC
Canada: Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in Toronto in August
Elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity reported in Toronto, Canada, in August. Maintain basic health precautions.
Canadian health officials have reported elevated monkeypox (mpox) activity in Toronto, Ontario, with a total of 93 cases reported Jan. 1-July 31. This is compared to the 21 cases reported over a similar period in 2023. Of the total case count, 13 cases were reported in the last two weeks of July. While mpox cases have been reported across the city, Toronto Public Health recorded a higher concentration of cases in residents in the downtown core. In response to the increase in cases, local health officials are working with community partners to increase awareness of the risk of getting mpox, improve access to vaccination, and vaccinate eligible residents. As disease surveillance and contact tracing continue, officials will likely identify additional cases in the coming weeks. This report represents the most up-to-date information as of Aug. 15.
Practice basic health precautions, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, covering the nose and mouth when coughing, and avoiding obviously ill individuals. Avoid overcrowded areas such as nightclubs and consider using safe sexual practices such as physical barriers (condoms) in countries reporting mpox transmission. Seek medical attention if symptoms develop within two weeks of being in affected areas, especially if you have had one or more new sexual partners. Vaccines are available.
There has been an ongoing outbreak of clade II mpox in Canada since 2022. The first confirmed cases of mpox in Canada were reported on May 19, 2022. Toronto reported 27 mpox cases in 2023 and 510 cases in 2022.
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Mpox is mainly transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected individuals (including intimate or sexual contact), infected animals, or through contact with contaminated materials. Human-to-human transmission primarily occurs through close personal contact with an infected individual via respiratory droplets, direct contact with bodily fluids, or indirect contact with lesion material - e.g., contaminated clothing or bedding. Symptoms typically appear 3-17 days after exposure but can develop up to 21 days after exposure. Symptoms generally include fever, headache, muscle and back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a distinctive rash characterized by lesions that progress through several stages before falling off.
