Monkeypox causes sores on the skin of the patient’s arms and torso. (File)
Montreal:
Health authorities in the Canadian province of Quebec are investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious virus, the public broadcaster CBC reported on Wednesday.
The United States also confirmed a case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada on Wednesday after European health officials confirmed dozens of cases earlier this week.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease often begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes before a rash like chicken pox appears on the face and body.
Public health authorities in Quebec City, Montreal, are investigating at least 13 cases, the public broadcaster said, adding that several clinics specializing in sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections were flagged after they were diagnosed.
Confirmation is expected in the coming days, CBC reported.
In the neighboring United States, the Massachusetts Health Authority and the CDC confirmed the first case this year on Wednesday.
The Massachusetts Department of Health said in a statement that “the case poses no risk to the public, and the person is hospitalized and in good condition.”
According to the CDC, the disease can be spread by an infected person’s body fluids or wounds or by contact with shared items (such as clothing and bedding), which, according to the CDC, can kill household germs.
Many reported cases, including clusters identified in the past two weeks in Portugal, Spain and the UK – where monkeypox is abnormal – are occurring within the sex network, said CDC’s poxvirus expert Inger Damon, a statement from the agency.
Several European cases have been identified among men who have sex with men, although the CDC insists that “anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread the monkeypox.”
As of May 6, nine cases of monkeypox have been detected in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Wednesday.
Spain and Portugal also announced early Wednesday that they had identified more than 40 suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and was published from a syndicated feed.)
