Public health authorities are investigating 17 suspected cases of monkeypox in the Montreal area. It is the only known outbreak in Canada of the rare disease, which can cause painful pustules and scabs to break out. Recent outbreaks have been reported in Europe and the United States.
Montreal public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin said authorities will put protective measures in place, but stressed that all cases so far have been minor and there is no cause for alarm.
“We do not have to panic at this time. It’s not something that is going to go to sustained community transmission,” she said at a hastily organized news conference Thursday, the day after Radio-Canada reported there were several suspected cases in the city.
“It’s not something you can acquire if you go to the grocery store or go on public transportation.”
The disease is spread primarily through close, sustained contact, which includes but is not limited to sexual contact, Drouin said. Contacts considered at risk are those who live in the same household with an infected person, or who have had sexual relations with someone who has had the disease.
To date, 15 suspected cases have been identified in Montreal, as well as one on the South Shore and one on the North Shore. The infected are mainly men who had sexual relations with other men, between the ages of 30 and 55.
Drouin stressed that monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease and warned against stigmatizing a particular segment of the community, as anyone can catch the virus.
The first cases were declared on May 12 from clinics specializing in sexually transmitted diseases. The cases were initially thought to be chancroid, a rare sexually transmitted disease that causes painful genital ulcers.
It wasn’t until Tuesday, when authorities learned of a suspected case from the United States who had travelled to Montreal, that monkeypox was suspected. Several of the cases in Montreal have been linked to a traveller who came from Boston.
Montreal’s cases have not yet been confirmed by a laboratory, but Drouin said recent outbreaks in Europe and a case reported in the United States suggest they are likely cases of the virus.
Monkeypox is typically limited to Africa, and rare cases in the United States and elsewhere are usually linked to travel there. A small number of confirmed or suspected cases have been reported this month in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain.
Drouin said the disease is transmitted by close contact and droplets.
Monkeypox typically begins with such symptoms as fever, headache, backache and fatigue, then progresses to a rash on the face and body. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the swelling or enlargement of lymph nodes that accompanies monkeypox distinguishes it from smallpox.
The incubation period is seven to 17 days and most infections of monkeypox last two to four weeks, the agency says. Montreal officials said there is no treatment at this time.
The first symptoms of the disease that were identified in Montreal have been traced back to April 29. People who have been in contact with a suspected case will not have to isolate, but they are asked to monitor for symptoms and go to a doctor if they suspect they have contracted the disease. Health workers in contact with possible cases are advised to wear full protective gear, including a gown, N95 mask and gloves.
The Public Health Agency of Canada notes that the smallpox vaccine, which was routinely administered to Canadians born before 1972, protects against monkeypox. Smallpox was eradicated in 1977.
Some people who have been in contact with cases in the U.K. have received a smallpox vaccine as protection. Drouin said the decision on whether similar actions will be taken here depend on availability of the vaccine, and will be decided on a provincial and federal level.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that it had confirmed the first U.S. case of monkeypox virus infection of 2022. The individual is an adult male who recently travelled to Canada. The agency didn’t indicate what province or provinces he visited and did not respond to questions.
This story will be updated.
