Officials say the infected person is currently isolating at home and all contacts have been notified by the health facility. It is believed the resident was likely infected during a recent visit to Toronto. “At this time the risk to the general public remains very low as we have not detected the virus circulating in Hamilton and the virus does not spread easily,” Doctor of Health Dr Elizabeth Richardson said in a statement on Monday.
Read more: Monkeypox cases in Europe have tripled in past 2 weeks, WHO says
“Hamiltonians don’t have to worry about going about their daily business.” Story continues below ad As of late last week, more than 5,000 cases of monkeypox had been reported from 51 countries worldwide that do not normally report the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of infections in Europe represents about 90 percent of the global total, with 31 countries in the WHO European region having identified cases. Monkey pox, a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, has been widely spread among men who have sex with men outside of countries where it is common. 2:46 WHO director calls for increased testing, more access to vaccines and antivirals to fight monkeypox Previous Video Next Video As of Wednesday, 276 cases of smallpox have been reported in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Trending Stories
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Four cases have been identified in British Columbia, five in Alberta, 67 in Ontario and 202 in Quebec. Story continues below ad The World Health Organization’s head for Europe warned on Friday that cases of monkeypox in the region had tripled in the past two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the once-rare disease does not gain a foothold on the continent. African health authorities have said they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, calling on rich countries to share limited vaccine supplies to avoid equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: Quebec now has 211 confirmed monkeypox cases as vaccination numbers rise
The head of the WHO for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the UN health agency’s decision last week that the escalating epidemic did not yet warrant declaring a global health emergency. “Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn a corner in the fight to reverse the continued spread of this disease,” Kluge said. Hamilton Public Health Services hosted a pop-up monkeypox vaccination clinic Thursday for at-risk community members by appointment only. More than 60 doses of the monkeypox vaccine were given to high-risk community members over the age of 18. The city has not confirmed whether future clinics will be facilitated. Story continues below ad — with files from The Associated Press © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
