Newfoundland and Labrador reports first probable case of monkeypox
Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday reported its first probable case of monkeypox, a day after Nova Scotia's health minister said the province had identified its first couple of cases.
Dr. Rosann Seviour, Newfoundland and Labrador's acting chief medical officer of health, gave few details about the case or in what area of the province the person involved likely contracted the disease, citing concerns about stigmatization.
Seviour said residents wouldn't receive the same level of benefit from detailed monkeypox exposure notifications as people did with information released during COVID-19 outbreaks.
"Some of our concerns about this is about stigmatization of certain groups and I think when you come from a smaller region it makes people more identifiable, something we don't want to have happen," Seviour said.
On Wednesday, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said 745 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed in Canada. The vast majority of the cases have been among men who have sex with men.
Seviour said a probable case is defined as a person with an unexplained acute rash or with lesions and who has been exposed to the virus. She said contract tracing is underway and close contacts of the probable case are being offered the Imvamune vaccine.
The province is the sixth in Canada to identify a case, she said.
Symptoms of monkeypox include skin lesions in the mouth and genital area, fever, night sweats, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain. The virus is spread through prolonged close contact and can be transmitted through skin lesions, respiratory droplets, and by sharing clothing, bedding or other common items that have come into contact with an infected person's sores.
Quebec has reported 346 cases of the disease since the start of the outbreak, the highest number in Canada.
The World Health Organization last weekend declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern.
Seviour said it was only a matter of time before Newfoundland and Labrador detected its first case.
"I wasn't really surprised that we got a case because of the activities all across the world, international travel and how mobile people are," she said.
She said that while the current vaccine stockpile in the country isn't large, she didn't think she would have problems procuring enough to treat people.
"I have no doubt that should we need vaccine next week that I would be able to get it in the quantities that we would need to start our campaign," Seviour said.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's health minister said in the legislature on Wednesday that the first "couple" of cases of monkeypox had been identified in the province.
But provincial officials clarified the comment on Thursday, saying there were no known cases of the disease in the province.
Khalehia Perrault, a Health Department spokeswoman, said the two cases involved people who were visiting Nova Scotia.
"It was a case of two individuals who came to Nova Scotia with monkeypox. Public Health was alerted of the situation, assessed it and determined there was no risk of transmission."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2022.
-- By Keith Doucette in Halifax, with files from Lyndsay Armstrong.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.