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Monkeypox Canada: What are the symptoms of the rare virus? – Vancouver Is Awesome

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As the monkeypox virus continues to spread across the globe, health officials have confirmed cases of the rare virus in four Canadian provinces.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a viral relative of smallpox. It is typically limited to Africa, and rare cases in the U.S. and elsewhere are usually linked to travel there. 

The name of the illness originates from its 1958 discovery by scientists who observed two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys.

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The disease is zoonotic, meaning it’s caused by germs that spread between animals and people. The first known human infection was documented in 1970 in a nine-year-old boy in a remote part of Congo.

What’s the current situation?

Since May, over 700 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in non-endemic countries, with the lion’s share in Europe. In Canada and the U.S., infections caused by a West African clade, which tends to cause mild disease, have also been diagnosed.

“While most, but not all, recent global infections are among young men who identify as men who have sex with other men, the virus can affect anyone through close person-to-person contact,” noes the BCCDC.

How does monkeypox spread?

Monkeypox is spread from person to person through contact with sores and items like bedding or towels that have the virus on them. It can also spread through respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes during prolonged close, face-to-face contact with a person who has monkeypox. While the virus is not known to transmit through semen, vaginal or rectal fluids, it does spread through close contact during sexual activity. 

In Africa, people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals, and it does not usually spread easily among people. 

What are the monkeypox symptoms?

It typically begins with a flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes, followed by a rash on the face and body. According to the BCCDC, symptoms appear in two stages and may last for two to four weeks. 

In the first stage, the following symptoms may appear: 

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Intense headache
  • Swollen lymph nodes 
  • Back pain
  • Muscle pain
  • Fatigue or exhaustion
  • Other less common symptoms can include sore throat, cough, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea

Approximately one to five days after the first stage, the second stage begins. Symptoms may include:

  • A rash that often starts on the face or legs and arms, and can affect other parts of the body, such as the hands, feet, mouth and genitals.
  • Monkeypox sores usually last between 2 to 3 weeks. The sores change in appearance over time from raised spots to small blisters filled with fluid. They eventually form a scab and fall off. 

“The rash tends to be more concentrated on the face and extremities rather than on the trunk. It affects the face (in 95% of cases), and palms of the hands and soles of the feet (in 75% of cases). Also affected are oral mucous membranes (in 70% of cases), genitalia (30%), and conjunctivae (20%), as well as the cornea,” notes the World Health Organization (WHO). 

What do I do if I’ve been exposed?

If you have been exposed to the virus, monitor for symptoms. Symptoms can present from five to 21 days after exposure. If you develop symptoms, visit a health care professional. Wear a mask and cover the lesions, and inform the clinic ahead of time of the reason for your visit.

During this period you must limit close contact with others, including sexual contact.

What happens if I become ill with monkeypox?

If you believe you have contracted the monkeypox virus, contact your doctor. Inform them if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has the virus. 

Until you see your healthcare provider, stay at home and self-isolate. If possible, stay away from people you live with and don’t share towels, clothing, or linens. See if other members of your household, family, or friends can look after any pets so you do not spread monkeypox to animals.

Public Health will contact you if you test positive for the virus and provide you with instructions for the next steps. 

Monkeypox is usually a mild illness and most people recover on their own after a few weeks, notes the BCCDC. While there are no well-established treatments for the virus, “antiviral medication may be considered on a case-by-case basis.”

Monkeypox prevention and vaccination

Canada has a limited amount of Imvamune™ — a vaccine that provides protection against the monkeypox virus. It is not currently available for the general public, however. 

“It can be used to manage [the] spread of monkeypox and prevent serious illness in people who have been exposed,” explains the BCCDC, noting that it does not benefit someone who is already infected. 

The risk of monkeypox to the general public is very low, advises the BCCDC. There is no need for the general public to get vaccinated.

With files from the Canadian Press.

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Measles case reported locally turns out to be negative: health unit

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NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE MUSKOKA DISTRICT HEALTH UNIT
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On March 26, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) was notified by Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) laboratory that due to laboratory error, the case of measles that had been lab-confirmed positive on March 12, based on symptoms and a positive urine measles laboratory result by PHO’s laboratory, is in fact negative for the measles virus.

“With this new information of the negative lab result, we believe that that individual was not infected with measles and that there has not been any public exposure to measles resulting from this individual’s illness,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health. “We recognize that notifying the public of what we believed to be a positive measles case in our area created worry, anxiety and disruption for some, and we regret this.

“We do know that, despite best efforts, on rare occasions laboratory errors can occur. We are working closely with the PHO’s laboratory to do all that we can to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.”

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads very easily through airborne transmission. The measles virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.

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Symptoms of measles begin seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, and red eyes. Small white spots appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present. Three to seven days after symptoms begin, a red, blotchy rash appears on the face and then progresses down the body.

The risk of transmission to those vaccinated with two doses is low, and when it does occur tends to show a reduction in the severity of these symptoms.

“Although we are relieved for the individual involved, and for all Simcoe-Muskoka residents, that this case has now been confirmed as negative, we know that measles is still active in Ontario at this time and the potential remains for new cases to arise, especially given the increase in Ontarians travelling to areas in the world that have higher numbers of measles cases,” said Dr. Gardner. “This is why we continue to advise individuals to keep up to date with their routine immunizations, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.”

The risk of measles is low for people who have been fully immunized with two doses of measles vaccine or those born before 1970; however, many children have been delayed in receiving their routine childhood immunizations and people who have not had two doses of measles vaccine are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

People who do get sick usually recover without treatment, but measles can be more severe for infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Possible complications include middle-ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and occasionally death in the very young. Even individuals who are up to date with the measles vaccine should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after exposure.

For more information about measles, please visit smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to speak with a public health professional.

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Kate Middleton Not Alone. Cancer On Rise For People Under 50, Say Experts

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Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery

London:

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When Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed she was being treated for cancer last week, part of the shock was that an otherwise healthy 42-year-old has a disease that mostly plagues older people.

However, researchers have been increasingly sounding the alarm that more and more people under 50 are getting cancer — and no one knows why.

Across the world, the rate of under-50s diagnosed with 29 common cancers surged by nearly 80 percent between 1990 and 2019, a large study in BMJ Oncology found last year.

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The researchers predicted the number of new cancer cases among younger adults will rise another 30 percent by the end of this decade, with wealthy countries particularly affected.

The increase in cases — and soaring global population — means that the number of deaths among under 50s from cancer has risen by nearly 28 percent over the last 30 years.

This occurred even as the odds of people of all ages surviving cancer have roughly doubled over the last half century.

Shivan Sivakumar, a cancer researcher at the UK’s University of Birmingham, called it an “epidemic” of young adult cancer.

Since Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery earlier this year, Sivakumar and other doctors have spoken out about the uptick in younger cancer patients they have been seeing at their clinics.

While breast cancer remains the most common for people under 50, the researchers expressed particular concern about the rise of gastrointestinal cancers — such as of the colon, pancreas, liver and oesophagus — in younger adults.

Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. For women, it is number two — behind only breast cancer.

One high profile case of colorectal cancer was “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 in 2020.

Why is this happening?

“We just don’t have the evidence yet” to say exactly what is causing this rise, Sivakumar told AFP, adding it was likely a combination of factors.

Helen Coleman, a cancer epidemiology professor at Queen’s University Belfast who has studied early onset cancer in Northern Ireland, told AFP there were two potential explanations.

One is that people in their 40s were exposed to factors known to cause cancer — such tobacco smoke, alcohol or being obese — at an earlier age than previous generations.

She pointed out that the “obesity epidemic” did not start until the 1980s.

Sivakumar felt that at least part of the puzzle could be explained by obesity.

However, there is “another wave” of under-50 patients who are neither obese nor genetically predisposed still getting cancer, he emphasised, adding that this could not be put down to “statistical chance”.

The other theory, Coleman said, is that “something different” has been going on with her generation.

Fingers have been pointed out a range of possible culprits — including chemicals, new drugs and microplastics — but none have been proven.

Some have suggested that so-called ultra-processed foods could be to blame. “But there’s very little data to back any of that up,” Coleman said.

Another theory is that the food we eat could be changing our gut microbiome.

While there is nothing conclusive yet, Coleman said her own research suggested that cancer causes changes to the microbiome, not the other way around.

Anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists have even tried to blame Covid-19 vaccines.

This is easily disproven, because the rise in young adult cancer has taken place over decades, but the vaccines have only been around for a few years.

What can be done?

To address the rise in younger colorectal cancer, in 2021 the US lowered the recommended age for screening to 45. Other countries have yet to follow suit.

But the researchers hoped that Catherine’s experience would remind people at home that they should consult their doctor if they sense anything is wrong.

“People know their bodies really well,” Sivakumar said.

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“If you really feel that something isn’t right, don’t delay — just get yourself checked out.”

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Almost 3,000 students suspended in Waterloo Region over immunization issues

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Close to 3,000 children attending elementary school across Waterloo Region were suspended from school on Wednesday morning for not having up-to-date immunization records.

The region says Waterloo Public Health suspended 2,969 students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

For several months, the region has been campaigning for people to get their children’s vaccinations up to date, including sending letters home to parents on a couple of occasions, warning that students’ records needed to be up to date or they would be suspended.

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It announced in January that 32,000 students did not have up-to-date records: 22,000 elementary students and 10,000 high school students.


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“We have made remarkable progress from the original 27,567 immunization notices we sent to parents in November and December 2023,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

“Since that time, we have resolved more than 24,500 outdated vaccination records, providing students with valuable protection against these serious and preventable diseases.”

The high school students still have a few weeks to get their records up to date or else face suspension.

The ISPA requires students to have proof-of-vaccination records for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis, which must be on file with public health.

Public health says caregivers whose children are suspended will need to book an appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines for clinics, which will be held in Cambridge and Waterloo on weekdays.

“Given the high number of suspensions, it may take several days before you can be seen at an appointment and return your child to school,” a release from the region warns.

“Record submission and questions must be done in person to ensure immediate resolution.”

The last time suspensions over immunizations were issued was in 2019, when 1,032 students were suspended.

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