Following the announcement of the first lab confirmed case of monkeypox in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington region on Wednesday, KFL&A Public Health is working with the Ministry of Health to identify high-risk contacts and connect possible cases with necessary supports.
In a media call on Thursday afternoon, KFL&A medical officer of health Dr. Piotr Oglaza explained that Public Health has completed contact tracing for the confirmed case and that the risk of the virus to the general public is very low.
“We have followed up with all the close contacts of the (confirmed) case and are proceeding to support those individuals until they have recovered,” Oglaza said. “The risk to the general public is low, and KFL&A residents should not be concerned going about their everyday activities in the community.”
The monkey pox virus was previously known to be endemic in parts of central and western Africa, but other the past few months, cases have been popping up in non-endemic countries, with 477 cases currently reported in Canada.
Monkey pox is a viral disease that spreads through close contact with infected individuals, including sexual contact, hugging, skin contact while dancing, the sharing of contaminated clothing or bedding, and prolonged face-to-face contact.
Oglaza warns that while anyone can get monkeypox, the most commonly reported risk factors in Ontario have included engaging in sexual or intimate contact with new or multiple partners.
While the virus is in the same family as the smallpox virus, symptoms are far milder and less contagious, with most people recovering on their own without treatment. According to KFL&A Public Health, symptoms of monkeypox include rash or blister in the mouth and around genital areas, swollen lymph nodes, fever and chills, muscle aches, headaches and exhaustion. Symptoms can appear within five to 21 days after initial exposure.
For Oglaza, the mild course of illness is an encouraging sign both in terms of individual outcomes and the public health risk of the virus.
“This is a viral infection where symptoms are typically self-limiting. While severe outcomes are possible, this has not been the experience so far, so that is certainly reassuring,” Oglaza explained. “Because this disease do not spread very easily outside of certain types of interactions—prolonged contact with infected individuals—and the incubation period is relative long, it enables to intervene and consider prophylaxis for those who are exposed. So even though the (virus) might be relatively mild for most individuals, we want to make sure that everyone can get the maximum protection.”
Currently, the province of Ontario is deploying vaccines to both prevent illness among high-risk individuals, and distributing vaccines to those who may have been exposed.
“There’s two ways in which the vaccine is deployed. One way that it is available to stop farther transmission is look into contacts and deploy vaccines (known as post-exposure prophylaxis). There’s also an option for addressing individuals who might be at increased risk of coming into contact with monkey pox and offering the vaccine as a pre-exposure prophylaxis,” Oglaza said.
Oglaza explained that, to-date, no vaccines had been deployed in the KFL&A region, but now that a case has been identified public health is working with the province to implement a vaccination strategy.
“The trigger for (these) approaches is the identification of a case in the jurisdiction. So we are in active discussions with the province to bring (vaccines) to the KFL&A region and offering (vaccines) to those individuals who might be at increased risk,” he said.
Close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases are advised to self-monitor for symptoms for 21 days after their last suspected exposure. If symptoms do develop, individuals are encouraged to self-isolate, seek medical care, and get tested for the virus.
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms should contact their health care provider as soon as possible.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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