Hamilton records first case of rare monkeypox virus: public health

Hamilton Public Health (HPH) has its first reported case of the monkeypox virus, according to the city’s medical officer of health.

Officials say the infected person is currently isolating at home and all contacts have been notified by the health unit.

It’s believed the resident was most likely infected during a recent visit to Toronto.

“At this time the risk to the general public remains very low, as we have not detected the virus circulating in Hamilton, and the virus does not spread easily,” medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said in a release on Monday.

“Hamiltonians should not be concerned going about their routine daily activities.”

As of late last week, more than 5,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 51 countries worldwide that don’t normally report the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The number of infections in Europe represents about 90 per cent of the global total, with 31 countries in the WHO’s European region having identified cases.

Monkeypox, a viral illness causing flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, has been spreading largely in men who have sex with men outside the countries where it is common.

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As of Wednesday, 276 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

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

The World Health Organization’s Europe chief warned Friday that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the last two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent.

African health authorities said they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, calling on rich countries to share limited supplies of vaccines to avoid equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO Europe chief Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the UN health agency’s decision last week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant being declared a global health emergency.

“Urgent and co-ordinated action is imperative if we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease,” Kluge said.

Hamilton Public Health Services hosted a pop-up monkeypox vaccination clinic on Thursday for at-risk community members by appointment only.

More than 60 doses of the monkeypox vaccine were administered to at-risk community members aged 18-plus.

A HPH spokesperson told Global News in an email that the turnout was “encouraging” and revealed the next clinic is Thursday (July 7) from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. by appointment only.

— with files from The Associated Press