OttawaCanada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam confirmed a total of 168 cases of monkeypox in the country as of Friday. Speaking at a health briefing, the top doctor said these confirmed cases were reported nationally, including two cases from British Columbia, four from Alberta, 21 from Ontario and 141 from Quebec. “We continue to monitor and respond to the evolving monkeypox situation, including in tributary provinces and territories, in our efforts to launch targeted vaccination campaigns,” Tam said, adding that they are working to raise awareness about that how the virus spreads.
According to him, among the cases for which information is available and reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada, all cases are male and aged between 20 and 69 years.
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However, the risk of exposure to monkeypox virus is not specific to any group or setting. He added that anyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, can become infected and spread the virus if they come into close contact with someone who has had monkeypox or the objects they use, such as Personal items, towels or bed sheets, she said.
Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis that can cause infection in humans and the disease most commonly 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 Organisation.