New cases of mpox diagnosed in Montreal: public health
One month almost to the day after the health ministry officially announced the end of the mpox outbreak in Quebec, new cases have appeared in Montreal, according to public health.
In an update of its "call for vigilance," the Montreal public health agency said that "after several months without reporting new cases" in the city, two laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported since March 17.
This infectious disease, previously known as monkeypox, disproportionately affects men who have sex with men. The two recently reported cases are believed to be linked to men who have travelled to countries where local transmission is well documented.
While the epidemic was considered over in Montreal and Quebec, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is still a "public health emergency of international concern."
According to information provided by Montreal Public Health, the two recently infected individuals both received at least one dose of the preventive vaccine Imvamune, which reduces the risk of contracting the disease and developing serious complications.
The virus is transmitted through direct skin or mucous membrane contact with an infected person's lesions or biological fluids. It can also be transmitted by respiratory droplets during prolonged close contact.
The main symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue, chills, body aches and swollen lymph nodes. Rashes then appear on the face and elsewhere on the body. These rashes can be very painful, health experts warn.
MORE THAN 500 CASES
Between May and October 2022, about 400 probable and confirmed cases of mpox were diagnosed in Montreal. Across Quebec, the Ministry of Health counted 526 probable or confirmed cases in connection with this outbreak.
A rapid vaccination campaign deployed by Montreal Public Health in the summer of 2022 slowed the spread of mpox.
It is estimated that 54 per cent of the population at risk in the Montreal area received a first dose of the vaccine, while 24 per cent received a second dose.
Public health is calling for vigilance among health professionals to identify other cases and promote the preventive vaccine to people who are at risk.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 30, 2023. The Canadian Press health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial decisions.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.