A total of eight adults in the Calgary and Edmonton zones have tested positive in the province so far. According to Public Health Canada, 300 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in the country with the vast majority in Quebec (211) and Ontario (77). Monkeypox is an orthopoxvirus, and while it is similar to smallpox — which was eradicated worldwide in 1980 — it is less severe. “I would expect them to find a few more cases as contact tracing continues. I know Alberta Health Services is doing a lot of work to try to identify all the people who may have one or the other relationship with each other and tips to look for the disease said David Evans, a professor in the department of medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta. “The numbers, no doubt, will go up a little more as we continue to discover additional cases or find some additional chains of transmission. But I don’t expect them to make that exponential jump that we saw with COVID, for example.” In a tweet Monday, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deanna Hinshaw, said contact tracing is underway for the three latest cases. I would like to provide an update on monkeypox. A total of 8 adult cases have now been identified in Alberta, all in the Edmonton & Calgary Zones. Contact tracing and investigation is ongoing. The overall risk in the province remains low. (1/4) —@CMOH_Alberta
Smallpox vaccine is offered
As the outbreak grows around the world, health officials in Alberta are offering a single dose of the smallpox vaccine to people in close contact with known cases. This would include sexual partners, people sharing a home, and healthcare workers who provided care without proper personal protective equipment. As of Monday, eight people had been vaccinated with Imvamune, which is approved for use in Canada. The vaccine is ideally given within four days of exposure to the virus to prevent the disease. But it can be given within a two-week window to reduce symptoms. Craig Jenne is an associate professor of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary. (Jennifer Lee/CBC) “If a person believes they have been exposed or is experiencing symptoms (including fever, swollen glands, new sores, rash), they should call 811,” Hinshaw said in the Twitter thread. According to Craig Jenne, an associate professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, the overall risk to the general public is quite low, but he expects monkeypox to be around for the foreseeable future. “It’s still spreading. But it’s slowly spreading,” Jenne said. “While we know it, we know it’s out there, we’ve encouraged people to take precautions, there’s still a low level of transmission and that unfortunately may continue for a while, whether it’s transmission here in Canada or … people who get it on trips and present with the virus once they return to Canada.” Jenne believes a public awareness campaign will be key to making sure people understand the risks and how to protect themselves. Health officials have said the majority of global cases have been among men who have reported having sex with other men, but say the virus can spread to anyone exposed to an infected person or contaminated objects.
