A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in B.C. through laboratory testing by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Health Minister Adrian Dix said Monday.
The risk to the public is “very low,” said Dix.
The infected person lives in 91原创. The National Microbiology Laboratory has yet to give the final confirmation, “nonetheless we’re confident that this case is in place,” said Dix.
A B.C. Centre for Disease Control epidemiologist and other health officials will speak about the confirmed case later today, said Dix.
“There will be more information about the detail involving this, but suffice it to say the risk to the overall public is low, but we want to make sure everyone is aware and knows about this issue and is aware of all the steps being taken to support this individual and this individual’s close contacts and the community,” he said.
Monkeypox has rarely been seen outside of Africa, but there have been recent cases of monkeypox transmitting from person to person in a number of countries where it is not usually seen, including Canada.
As of June 3, there were 77 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Canada, 71 of them in Quebec, five in Ontario, and one in Alberta.
More than 700 cases of monkeypox infection have been found in non-endemic countries since May 2022, with the majority identified in Europe.
Only those who have had close or intimate contact with an infected person are deemed potentially at risk of contracting monkeypox, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
To date, monkeypox has typically spread between intimate partners or those living in the same household. Asymptomatic spread is said to be “extremely uncommon.”
Monkeypox is spread from person to person through contact with skin lesions, body fluids and items like bedding, towels or clothing items that have the monkeypox virus on them as a result of a skin rash on an infected person. It can also spread through respiratory droplets such as coughs and sneezes during prolonged, close, face-to-face contact with a person who has monkeypox.
A vaccine available in Canada can prevent serious illness in those who are exposed, the 91原创 Coastal Health Authority said in a statement, noting the vaccine has no benefit for those who are already infected.
Monkeypox symptoms — typically fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes — can present from five to 21 days after exposure.
Learn more about monkeypox at .
