Hamilton Public Health said Monday the resident was “likely infected during a recent visit” to Toronto. He added that the person is currently in isolation and all close contacts have been notified. “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. Hamilton residents should not have to worry about going about their daily activities,” Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city’s medical examiner, said in a statement. “We continue to monitor the situation closely and advise people who develop symptoms or who have had close contact with a suspected or known case of monkeypox to contact their healthcare provider and local public health unit immediately.” As of June 30, there were 77 confirmed cases of smallpox in Ontario. Of those, 63 are in Toronto. Public Health Ontario said all the cases involved men between the ages of 23 and 65. The PHO noted that the most commonly reported symptoms are rash, oral/genital lesions, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, chills, myalgia and fatigue. “Although cases have mostly been identified among men who report having sex or intimate contact with other men, anyone can get monkeypox,” the PHO said in its report. Nationally, Public Health Canada reported 300 cases of monkeypox on Monday, with Quebec having the most infections with 211.
