Island Health has reported its first case of monkeypox, bringing the total number of cases in British Columbia to 21.
The patient lives on southern Vancouver Island and contract tracing is now underway, the health authority said in a statement Friday. Vaccines will be provided to those identified as high-risk contacts, it added.
The case, first reported Thursday, was confirmed through laboratory tests at the BC Center for Disease Control. The risk to public health remains low, according to Island Health.
All other cases of monkeypox in British Columbia are in the Vancouver Coastal Health Region.
Read more: First monkeypox case confirmed in B.C
Monkeypox is spread through contact with wounds and items such as bedding or towels that have the virus on them. It can also spread through respiratory droplets spread by coughing or sneezing.
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It can be transmitted through close contact during sexual activity.
Symptoms consist primarily of skin lesions on the mouth and genitals and may also include fever, headache, and joint and muscle pain, according to the World Health Organization. They usually appear one to two weeks after exposure, but can take between five and 21 days.
4:51 Monkey pox case confirmed in British Columbia Monkey pox case confirmed in British Columbia – June 7, 2022
People are considered infected from the time symptoms first appear until the sores are covered and dry new skin is visible, Island Health said in a news release.
Most patients have mild symptoms and do not need medical intervention, it added.
As of June 22, monkeypox infections have been detected in more than 50 countries and territories, mostly in Europe, according to the British Columbia CDC. The WHO is monitoring the virus and did not declare a global health emergency after a June 23 meeting.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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