Canada confirms 235 cases of monkeypox

Ottawa, Canada | Xinhua |  The Public Health Agency of Canada on Monday confirmed a total of 235 cases of monkeypox in the country as of June 24.

In a statement, the health agency provided an update on the confirmed cases, including two cases from British Columbia, four from Alberta, 45 from Ontario and 184 from Quebec.

According to the statement, the National Microbiology Laboratory continues to conduct testing to confirm a diagnosis of monkeypox for suspected cases, while provincial/territorial public health and health care systems are conducting case investigations and outbreak management.

Provinces and territories also have access to approved vaccines in Canada that can be used to manage monkeypox in their jurisdiction, the health agency said, adding that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has released recommendations for the use of Imvamune, a Health Canada-approved vaccine, for immunization against monkeypox.

Provincial and territorial public health authorities have launched their monkeypox vaccination campaigns and have started vaccinating populations at higher risk, the statement said.

Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis that may cause infections in humans and the disease usually occurs in forested parts of Central and West Africa. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus family, according to the World Health Organization. ■