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Public Health Ontario reported 230 confirmed cases and eight probable cases across the province as of Monday.
Ottawa Public Health says it has administered more than 1,000 monkeypox vaccinations so far. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Sixteen cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the nation’s capital, while Ottawa Public Health said Tuesday it had administered 1,089 doses of the protective Imvamune vaccine as of earlier this week.
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Public Health Ontario reported a total for the Ottawa area as of Monday among 230 confirmed cases and eight probable cases across the province.
A week earlier, the PHO reported a total of 156 confirmed cases and eight suspected cases across the province and 11 in the Ottawa Public Health Surveillance Area.
As of Monday, one confirmed case had been reported in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit area, plus three in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark County Health Unit.
Nearly three-quarters of Ontario’s confirmed cases are in Toronto, and all but one patient is male, Public Health Ontario said. The ages of confirmed patients ranged from 20 to 66 years, with the most commonly reported symptoms including rash, oral or genital lesions, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.
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Nine patients were hospitalized, including one in intensive care, but no deaths were reported, the provincial agency said.
Ottawa Public Health is tracking anyone who tests positive, as well as their close contacts, according to a statement Tuesday attributed to Marie-Claude Turcotte, director of health promotion and chief nursing officer.
OPH offers vaccination to those who have been in close contact with any person who tests positive, known as post-exposure prophylaxis. It also works with community organizations to vaccinate people at higher risk of monkeypox, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis.
“We are working closely with our partners to share information with the communities most affected,” Turcotte said in a statement. “We encourage all eligible individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
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People can find out if they’re eligible for the vaccine — and how to get it — on a dedicated webpage.
OPH is working with community organizations to offer more clinics, monitoring whether more capacity is needed and reaching people through digital ads on mobile apps.
Monkeypox, which belongs to the same family as smallpox, was rarely seen outside parts of Africa where it is endemic until this year, when cases began to spread to many parts of the world.
Health officials say monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease and can be spread through close contact. While most cases so far have been among men who have sex with men, anyone can contract monkeypox, Public Health Ontario said.
With files from Elizabeth Payne
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