Health officials said staff found that the person diagnosed with the virus did not have close contacts that required post-exposure treatment or additional follow-up. “The person is doing well,” said Dr. Alex Summers, a physician in charge of MLHU. “While we are reporting this first local case of monkey pox, the risk to the community remains very low.” The health unit has not disclosed the age of the patient or the city where he resides. The first cases of monkey pox in Canada were reported on May 19 after some were found in the United States and Europe, with 112 totaling by June 10, when the reported cases included 98 in Quebec, nine in Ontario, four in Alberta and one in British Columbia. Infectious viral disease can be contracted through direct contact with body fluids or from the injuries of infected humans or animals. It can also be spread through contaminated clothing or bedding and through respiratory droplets after prolonged exposure to an infected person, according to the MLHU. Symptoms of monkey pox may include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy, followed by a rash that may appear on the face and other parts of the body a few days after the onset of the initial symptoms. The MLHU said there was no specific treatment for monkeypox, although antivirals for smallpox could help.
