Canada now has 278 cases of monkeypox, with majority in Quebec

A total of 276 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Canada as of Wednesday, according to the country’s public health agency (PHAC).

Four cases have been identified in British Columbia, five in Alberta, 67 in Ontario and 202 in Quebec.

“The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working with provincial and territorial public health partners to investigate cases of monkeypox,” said PHAC on their website.

“As the investigation evolves, it is anticipated that additional cases will be reported in Canada,” the agency added.

PHAC explained that it’s performing diagnostic testing for the virus that causes monkeypox.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) website, monkeypox is a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans and it comes from the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, which was declared to be eradicated in 1980.

Monkeypox symptoms consist primarily of skin lesions on the mouth and genitals, and they can also include fever and headaches, as well as joint and muscle pain, according to the WHO.

Going forward, PHAC said case numbers may change as provinces and territories continue to receive confirmed testing results from the agency’s national lab.

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In the meantime, other countries that are not an endemic area for monkeypox are also reporting cases, “which represents a highly unusual event,” said the agency on their website.

The Associated Press reported that the disease is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals. It does not usually spread easily among people.

Last month, cases began emerging in Europe and the United States. Many — but not all — of those who contracted the virus had travelled internationally.

“Surveillance to date in non-endemic areas has been limited, but is now expanding,” said PHAC.

— with files from The Associated Press