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New Brunswick's first confirmed case of Monkeypox not travel-related

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The first confirmed case of Monkeypox was identified in New Brunswick on Friday, and according to the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, it was contracted due to community spread.

"The person has not travelled, and so that means that there could be other cases within the province,” said Russell. “We are really working closely with our regional public health teams to do contract tracing at this time and identify those contacts and offer them vaccines.”

At this time, the Monkeypox vaccine is not widely available to the public.

"We're offering vaccines to contacts of cases and cases themselves, so at this time, that's what's being done,” Dr. Russell said.

The virus spreads through close physical contact with an infected person and not in the same manner as COVID-19.

"The virus appears to be in those who have close contact of a sexual nature right now,” said Dr. Mark MacMillan, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society. “I don't think we'll see a large amount of people that we'll start suggesting isolation, however, one case can lead to two cases and that can lead to more, so we do have to cognizant of the fact that this virus is in the country,” MacMillan said.

Health-care professionals are encouraging Maritimers to be cautious.

"Even with COVID-19, there's the same sort of guidelines that you can follow when you're in very close physical contact with someone,” MacMillan said. “You may not know, or if they appear to have any infectious symptoms, obviously try to remove yourself from that situation.”

But if you’re a health-care worker, he added, you’ll still have to wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

Public Health is reminding people to stay vigilant when it comes to close physical contact and watch for signs of infection.

"Monkeypox virus transmits to other people within six to thirteen days,” Dr. Russell said. “At the onset, you will have fever, fatigue, muscle aches and pains, and lymphadenopathy (swelling of the lymph nodes) and then that will be followed one to three days later with a rash that is mostly on the extremities,” she said.

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