Doctors on Quebec monkeypox frontline: 'I had never heard of this disease 24 hours ago'
Health-care professionals at the forefront of containing monkeypox’s possible arrival in Montreal say it’s too early to know just how far the virus has spread.
A handful of potentially-infected patients have come to l’Actuel Clinic seeking treatment, said the centre's founder Dr. Réjean Thomas. It could take days to confirm whether they have the virus, which is difficult to diagnose on the spot.
Thomas said his staff is an unlikely first line of defence against a virus in the same family as variola, which causes smallpox. That’s because l’Actuel is a clinic that treats sexually transmitted infections.
“I had never heard of this disease 24 hours ago,” said Thomas. “The nurse told me ‘we didn’t have any education’.”
A closer look at common symptoms (which can be unsightly) does explain why people have been seeking answers for their newly-emerged illness at l’Actuel.
Thomas says the first person suspected to be positive arrived at his clinic with symptoms similar to those associated with syphilis, which creates rashes on the palms and feet. Thursday evening, Quebec's health ministry confirmed the province's first two cases of the disease and said 20 other suspected cases are under investigation.
Monkeypox symptoms, as they presented on this patient, “are on the legs and more generally [spread out],” he said.
Monkeypox, which is not an STI, can be spread through sex or any activity that includes close contact with others. Symptoms can also include swollen lymph nodes, rashes elsewhere on the body, as well as fever, headache, and exhaustion.
The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or through the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Since the beginning of May, a handful of potentially-infected people have visited his clinic. For each of them, approaching a diagnosis has been a challenge.
“It can look like syphilis, it can look like herpes, it’s very difficult to diagnose,” said Thomas.
It’s also too early to determine where those possible cases came from. Thomas said some of his patients have been travelling, others have not. Some have multiple sexual partners, others do not.
Thankfully, all the suspected cases are quite mild, he said. There’s also little risk of spread among staff, who still follow strict COVID-19 preventative measures.
FEAR OF STIGMATIZATION
Thomas said the health of his patients isn’t the only thing on his mind. L’Actuel is in Montreal’s Gay Village, and many of his patients are members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
“They're quite stressed about that disease,” he said. “They're quite worried about the stigmatization that will happen.”
Those believed to have contracted the illness in Montreal are mainly men between the ages of 30 and 55 who have had sex with other men.
Everyone is at risk of catching monkeypox, but Thomas said he’s nervous that if it continues to spread, it could fuel homophobic misinformation.
“I was there at the beginning of AIDS,” he continued. “I remember we were learning with the patients … we had no knowledge at that moment.”
He’s not the only one concerned about stigmatization.
“Just because it happened to gay men, doesn’t mean it can’t happen to heterosexual [people],” said Dr. Robert Pilarski. He specializes in STIs at La Licorne Clinic, where other potential monkeypox cases have been recorded. “It is not a gay disease; anyone can get it.”
“We do not want to stigmatize any sector of the population,” said Montreal Public Health physician Dr. Genevieve Bergeron during a Thursday morning press conference.
“What we are worried about is prolonged close contact, [which] could happen in any sort of setting.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.