2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Canada
Spread of disease as of September 2, 2022
DiseaseMpox
Virus strainMonkeypox virus (West African clade)
LocationCanada
Index caseMontreal, Quebec (first suspected May 12, 2022)
Arrival dateMay 19, 2022
(1 year, 7 months, 4 weeks and 2 days ago)
Confirmed cases1,460
Hospitalized cases44
Deaths
0
Government website
Government of Canada

The 2022–2023 mpox outbreak in Canada is a part of the outbreak of human mpox caused by the West African clade of the monkeypox virus. The outbreak started in Canada on May 19, 2022, with the country since then becoming one of the most affected in the Americas.

Background

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox)[1] is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other animals.[2] Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.[2] The illness is usually mild and most of those infected will recover within a few weeks without treatment.[3] The time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks.[4] Cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems.[5]

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus,[lower-alpha 1] a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of the disease smallpox, is also in this genus.[2] Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact.[2] People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed.[5] It may spread from infected animals by handling infected meat or via bites or scratches.[5] Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing a lesion for the virus' DNA.[2]

An ongoing outbreak of mpox was confirmed on May 6, 2022, beginning with a British resident who, after travelling to Nigeria (where the disease is endemic), presented symptoms consistent with mpox on 29 April 2022. The resident returned to the United Kingdom on 4 May, creating the country's index case of the outbreak.[6] The origin of several of the cases of mpox in the United Kingdom is unknown. Some monitors saw community transmission taking place in the London area as of mid-May,[7] but it has been suggested that cases were already spreading in Europe in the previous months.[8]

Transmission

Stages of lesion development.

A large portion of those infected were believed to have not recently traveled to areas of Africa where mpox is normally found, such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as central and western Africa. It is believed to be transmitted by close contact with sick people, with extra caution for those individuals with lesions on their skin or genitals, along with their bedding and clothing. The CDC has also stated that individuals should avoid contact and consumption of dead animals such as rats, squirrels, monkeys and apes along with wild game or lotions derived from animals in Africa.[9]

Symptoms such as fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and rashes or lesions are fairly common. Additionally some patients also have presented with proctitis. The Public Health Agency of Canada has noted that person to person transmission of mpox is possible from direct contact with bodily fluids including sexual contact.[10]

History

Mpox cases in Canada  ()
     Deaths        Confirmed cases
2022202220232023
MayMayJunJunJulJulAugAugSepSepOctOctNovNovDecDec
JanJanFebFebMarMar
Last 15 daysLast 15 days
Date
Cases (rise)
Deaths (rise)
2022-05-19
2(n.a.)
⋮
2022-05-24
15(n.a.)
2022-05-25
16(+1)
2022-05-26
26(+10)
⋮
2022-06-02
58(n.a.)
2022-06-03
80(+22)
⋮
2022-06-06
81(n.a.)
2022-06-07
2022-06-08
101(n.a.)
2022-06-09
2022-06-10
115(n.a.)
⋮
2022-06-13
122(n.a.)
2022-06-14
2022-06-15
159(n.a.)
2022-06-16
2022-06-17
177(n.a.)
⋮
2022-06-21
210(n.a.)
2022-06-22
2022-06-23
223(n.a.)
2022-06-24
235(+12)
⋮
2022-06-27
275(n.a.)
2022-06-28
2022-06-29
278(n.a.)
2022-06-30
278(=)
2022-07-01
278(=)
2022-07-02
287(+9)
2022-07-03
298(+11)
2022-07-04
300(+2)
2022-07-05
300(=)
2022-07-06
300(=)
2022-07-07
358(+58)
2022-07-08
375(+17)
2022-07-09
378(+3)
2022-07-10
378(=)
2022-07-11
477(+99)
2022-07-12
477(=)
2022-07-13
493(+16)
2022-07-14
530(+37)
2022-07-15
538(+8)
2022-07-16
538(=)
2022-07-17
538(=)
2022-07-18
575(+37)
2022-07-19
604(+29)
2022-07-20
604(=)
2022-07-21
604(=)
2022-07-22
745(+141)
2022-07-23
745(=)
2022-07-24
745(=)
2022-07-25
745(=)
2022-07-26
745(=)
2022-07-27
745(=)
2022-07-28
745(=)
2022-07-29
803(+58)
2022-07-30
803(=)
2022-07-31
803(=)
2022-08-01
803(=)
2022-08-02
803(=)
2022-08-03
803(=)
2022-08-04
803(=)
2022-08-05
957(+154)
2022-08-06
957(=)
2022-08-07
957(=)
2022-08-08
957(=)
2022-08-09
957(=)
2022-08-10
1,008(+51)
2022-08-11
1,008(=)
2022-08-12
1,059(+51)
2022-08-13
1,059(=)
2022-08-14
1,059(=)
2022-08-15
1,059(=)
2022-08-16
1,059(=)
2022-08-17
1,112(+53)
2022-08-18
1,112(=)
2022-08-19
1,168(+56)
2022-08-20
1,168(=)
2022-08-21
1,168(=)
2022-08-22
1,168(=)
2022-08-23
1,168(=)
2022-08-24
1,206(+38)
2022-08-25
1,206(=)
2022-08-26
1,228(+22)
2022-08-27
1,228(=)
2022-08-28
1,228(=)
2022-08-29
1,228(=)
2022-08-30
1,228(=)
2022-08-31
1,289(+61)
2022-09-01
1,289(=)
2022-09-02
1,289(=)
2022-09-03
1,289(=)
2022-09-04
1,289(=)
2022-09-05
1,289(=)
2022-09-06
1,289(=)
2022-09-07
1,317(+28)
2022-09-08
2022-09-09
1,321(n.a.)
⋮
2022-09-14
1,338(n.a.)
2022-09-15
2022-09-16
1,363(n.a.)
⋮
2022-09-21
1,379(n.a.)
2022-09-22
2022-09-23
1,389(n.a.)
⋮
2022-09-28
1,396(n.a.)
⋮
2022-10-03
1,400(n.a.)
2022-10-04
2022-10-05
1,406(n.a.)
2022-10-06
2022-10-07
1,411(n.a.)
⋮
2022-10-12
1,411(n.a.)
2022-10-13
2022-10-14
1,410(n.a.)
⋮
2022-10-21
1,436(n.a.)
⋮
2022-10-28
1,435(n.a.)
⋮
2022-11-04
1,444(n.a.)
⋮
2022-11-14
1,445(n.a.)
⋮
2022-11-18
1,449(n.a.)
⋮
2022-11-25
1,456(n.a.)
⋮
2022-12-02
1,459(n.a.)
⋮
2022-12-09
1,459(n.a.)
⋮
2022-12-16
1,459(n.a.)
⋮
2022-12-23
1,460(n.a.)
⋮
2023-01-06
1,460(n.a.)
⋮
2023-01-20
1,460(n.a.)
⋮
2023-02-03
1,460(n.a.)
⋮
2023-02-17
1,460(n.a.)
⋮
2023-03-04
1,460(n.a.)

On May 18, the United States confirmed its first 2022 case of mpox and Canada reported 13 suspected cases.[11] On May 19, the first confirmed case of mpox was reported in Toronto.[12] On May 27, 500 people in Montreal, Quebec, received smallpox vaccinations. By July 6, 800 Montrealers had lined up at the clinic in the center of the Gay Village that was offering the initial vaccination.[13][14]

Number of cases confirmed in the Canadian provinces

Canada currently has the 8th most mpox cases.[15]

Cases of mpox
Province or territory Cases
 Nova Scotia 1[16]
 New Brunswick 1[16]
 Manitoba 1[16]
 Yukon 2[16]
 Saskatchewan 6[16]
 Alberta 43[16]
 British Columbia 190[16]
 Quebec 525[16]
 Ontario 691[16]
Total cases 1,460[16]
As of March 3, 2022 at 12:00 PM EDT

Responses

This was the first time in history that mpox was in Canada.[17]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The World Health Organization (the authority on disease names) announced the new name "mpox" in November 2022. But virus naming is the responsibility of the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), which is currently reviewing all orthopoxvirus species. As of March 2023, the official name of the virus remains "monkeypox virus".[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "WHO recommends new name for monkeypox disease" (Press release). World Health Organization (WHO). November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "WHO Factsheet – Mpox (Monkeypox)". World Health Organization (WHO). April 18, 2023. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Monkeypox". GOV.UK. May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Mpox Symptoms". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). February 2, 2023. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mpox (monkeypox)". World Health Organization. May 12, 2023. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Monkeypox – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". World Health Organization. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ Pinkstone, Joe (May 17, 2022). "Monkeypox 'spreading in sexual networks'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ Nsofor, Ifeanyi (June 2, 2022). "OPINION: Media coverage of monkeypox paints it as an African virus. That makes me mad". NPR. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  9. ↑ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (June 7, 2022). "US raises monkeypox alert level but says risk to public remains low". The Guardian. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ Canada, Public Health Agency of (June 30, 2022). "Monkeypox: For health professionals". www.canada.ca. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Massachusetts confirms rare monkeypox case, the first in the US this year". Boston Herald. May 18, 2022. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  12. ↑ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Santé-. "Variole du singe : au moins 13 cas en cours d'examen à Montréal" [Monkey pox: at least 13 cases being examined in Montreal]. Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Hundreds of Montrealers seek vaccine protecting against monkeypox". Cbc.ca. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Smallpox vaccine: Canadian Immunization Guide". Canada.ca. July 18, 2007.
  15. ↑ "2022 Monkeypox Outbreak: Global Trends". World Health Organization. August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Monkeypox: Outbreak update". Canada.ca. August 14, 2022.
  17. ↑ "P.E.I.'s Chief Public Health Office preparing as monkeypox cases rise across Canada". Cbc.ca. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
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