On Monday, the Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) reported the first identified case of monkeypox in the London region.
According to the media release from the health unit, MLHU staff members have determined that the person diagnosed with the illness has had no close contacts who require post-exposure action to prevent infection or additional follow-up from public health.
“The person is doing well,” said Dr. Alex Summers, Medical Officer of Health with MLHU. “While we are reporting this first local case of monkeypox, the risk to the community remains very low.”
The first case of monkeypox in Canada was reported on May 19.
Since then, the health unit has been sharing information about the illness after additional cases were reported in Europe and the United States.
Monkeypox, which is in the same family of viral illness as smallpox, is typically transmitted from animals to people.
“It can be spread to people through direct contact with the bodily fluids or lesions of infected people or animals, as well as from contaminated clothing or bedding and through respiratory droplets following prolonged exposure to an infected person,” described in the MLHU media release.
This causes a disease with symptoms similar to but less severe than smallpox, which can include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes and lethargy, followed by the development of a rash. More referred to as pox lesions, the rash can appear on the face and appears a few days after symptoms begin with the possibility of spreading to other parts of the body.
A person who contracts monkeypox is considered infectious from five days before the onset of their rash, “until their lesions have crusted over, and the scabs have dried up and fallen off,” according to the media release.
There is no specific treatment for monkeypox infection, although antivirals and prior vaccination against smallpox may help in providing cross-protection according to the MLHU.
The health unit will continue to monitor the situation in London closely and will continue to work with local health-care providers to identify any other potential cases.
Health-care providers are also asked to inform the MLHU if they suspect a patient shows signs and symptoms consistent with monkeypox.
For more information about monkeypox, visit the Ontario Ministry of Health’s website.