To prevent its spread Monkeypox In Montreal Area, Quebec The smallpox vaccine will start injecting selected people.
Thursday, Dr. Luke Bolieu, Quebec’s director of public health, has announced that the province has now confirmed 25 cases of monkeypox. Fourteen of them are located Montreal. However, they are all connected to the greater Montreal area.
Another 20 to 30 cases are being investigated, according to Boillo.
Monkeypox is a “serious situation,” Boilleu says, but it is not spreading in communities like COVID-19.
“We’re not expecting a quick, huge number of lawsuits,” he explained. “So we think it can be eliminated.”
Boliu said those at high risk of contracting the disease, such as those exposed to confirmed cases, would be given the smallpox vaccine, which was not given regularly. Canada In a few decades
According to Boillo, the province has hundreds of doses, but the vaccine will not be open to the general public.
The vaccine, approved in 2020 to prevent smallpox and other orthopoxiviruses, has been shown in animal tests to prevent monkeypox, according to Dr. Caroline KoachChairman of the Vaccination Committee of Quebec.
He said the vaccine should be given within four days of exposure but could be given two weeks later.
“The data shows that if you give it in four days, it will be very effective in preventing your illness,” Koch said. “If you manage it in 5 to 14 days, it may not prevent disease, but it can correct evolution.”
Adult men who have had sex with men make up the “vast majority” of cases.
According to Boliu, a case involving a minor who has been in school since being exposed.
Unlike other infectious diseases like coronavirus, close and extended contact is required for the virus to spread. “So it’s not like an entire classroom would suddenly be affected,” Koch said.
When it comes to monkeypox, Boliu said the government was “not alerting the community.”
Dr. Genevieve BergeronThe medical officer in charge of the health crisis and infectious diseases in Montreal noted that contact tracking and isolation are also being used to prevent the spread.
Dr. Sebastian Paulin, One of them is an infectious disease specialist St. Jerome’s Hospital Outside of Montreal, he believes it makes sense to target close acquaintances for vaccinations.
“I believe this is reasonable because we cannot forget that there are no serious incidents at present; There were no deaths, “he said in an interview. While the disease may be uncomfortable, Pauline said, “We’re not talking about human cocoon spring; We’re not talking about a deadly virus. “
Patients showed flu-like symptoms before the rash during an earlier outbreak of monkeypox in the central and western parts. AfricaAccording to Poulin.
The time of the current outbreak in the Montreal area and United Kingdom, Some patients have developed flu-like symptoms and have painful sores on the penis, anus or face. Still, other patients showed no symptoms.
Pauline said one of her patients had no symptoms other than a single non-painful lesion on her penis and a painful swelling of a lymph node. People may not know they have the virus because of “atypical” symptoms, he said, which could lead to an increase in infection.