Public Health Ontario reports 21 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Ottawa, the second highest number of cases in the province after Toronto.
As of Thursday, the province had confirmed 288 cases of the virus, with 220 in Toronto. All but one of the 288 cases confirmed since May 20 have been in men. Nine people in Ontario have been hospitalized with the virus, including two in intensive care. No one who has contracted monkeypox in Ontario has died.
Although cases have mostly been identified among men who report sexual or intimate contact with other men, anyone can contract monkeypox. The most commonly reported risk factors include sexual or intimate contact with new partners and/or more than one partner.
The province reported five new cases in Ottawa between Tuesday and Thursday. The province also confirmed one case in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit and one case each in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark. There are no confirmed cases in Renfrew County or the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington health units, according to the latest data available.
The World Health Organization says the expanding monkeypox outbreak is now a global emergency.
Ottawa Public Health has administered more than 1,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine locally. More details about who is eligible for vaccination and where it can be found on the OPH website.
Monkey pox is an infectious disease caused by a virus found in certain species of wild animals in Central and West Africa. In the past few weeks, it has spread around the world, affecting more than 16,000 people in more than 70 countries.
Symptoms of monkeypox include high fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache, exhaustion, and a rash that often appears on the face and limbs a few days after symptoms begin. The virus can be transmitted to another person through contact with exposed skin, the respiratory tract, or the eyes, nose, or mouth.
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