Second probable case of monkeypox in Brampton and Mississauga

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Published June 30, 2022 at 5:46 pm

There might be a second case of monkeypox in Mississauga and Brampton, according to Public Health Ontario.

An epidemiological summary by PHO says there are five new probable cases provincewide, in addition to the 67 that have been confirmed. The new cases include the first one to afflict a woman. Peel Public Health reported one of the five, while the others were were reported by the public health units in the Toronto and the London, Ont., area.

The five people whose diagnoses are not yet confirmed have an average age of 36.4 years. Three are in their 30s, one is a teenager and the other is 52 years old, but is not known how that corresponds to each public-health precinct. That small sample falls in line with the average age of 37.9 in the 67 confirmed cases, over 80 per cent of which (54) are in Toronto.

On Monday, Peel Public Health said the monkeypox risk to the public is low. That advisory came after the first case in Peel was confirmed in a 30-something man who lives in Mississauga.

Neighbouring Halton Region has two confirmed cases. Hamilton has not reported any.

Monkeypox virus is part of the same virus family as smallpox. Symptoms can include fever, headache, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes and a rash/lesions (which may appear on the face or genitals and then spread to other areas). It spreads through close contact with an infected individual, primarily through close contact with the lesions. It can also be transmitted through large droplets or by sharing contaminated items.

Most people recover on their own without treatment. But the disease is fatal for up to 1 in 10 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Anyone with symptoms is advised to contact their healthcare provider and avoid close contact with others until symptoms have improved and rash/lesion(s) has healed.

The most common symptom among confirmed infectees in Ontario has been a rash, reported by 85 per cent. A fever and swollon lymph nodes are the next two most commonly reported symptoms.

Individuals who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for monkeypox should self-monitor for symptoms. They can contact Peel Public Health to see if they are eligible for vaccination.

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