Hours after the country’s chief doctor suggested there could be a “couple” of cases of monkeypox in British Columbia, provincial officials said they had been diagnosed with the disease.
The British Columbia Disease Control Center said on Friday afternoon that there were two reported cases that could be the disease, but public health officials interviewed the people.
It was found that they were not considered contacts of known cases and were not disclosed.
“Suspicious cases or contacts with monkeypox in British Columbia are not currently being investigated,” the BCCDC said in a statement.
“BC continues to work closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Public Health will track anyone believed to be exposed to monkeypox.”
The news came hours after Canada’s chief physician, Dr. Theresa Tam, told a news conference that authorities were investigating the disease in several people living in the province.
“At the moment, I would say that just under a few dozen people are being investigated by local authorities, mainly in Quebec, but several contacts are also being traced in British Columbia, but only two cases have been confirmed (in the country),” she said.
“There are samples in the process of being processed at the National Microbiology Laboratory as we speak, so we can expect to hear more confirmations in the coming hours and days.”
She said local authorities are tracking contacts, so they do not currently know the prevalence in Canada.
“So far, we know that not many of these people are involved in travel to Africa, where the disease is usually observed. So this is unusual, “she said.
WHAT IS THE MONKEY STAR?
Monkeypox was discovered in the late 1950s and is a disease caused by a virus similar to the one that causes smallpox.
The symptoms are also similar, including fever, chills, exhaustion and pain in the head, muscles and back. Unlike smallpox, it can also cause swollen lymph nodes and is considered milder.
Later, those who were infected developed a rash and protruding swellings filled with fluid. These bumps turn into scabs over time and fall off.
Anyone who has developed signs or symptoms, including these blisters, should get advice from their doctor.
The name comes from his discovery – it was first discovered in colonies of monkeys that were used for research.
A number of countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are experiencing an outbreak of the disease, which is more common in Central and West Africa.
“It is unusual for the world to see so many cases reported in different countries outside Africa,” Tam said on Friday.
Health officials say the virus is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, and although it is usually transmitted through large respiratory droplets, Tam said Friday that it could even be transmitted through contaminated clothing.
Read more about his story on CTVNews.ca.
With files from Alice Kotik from CTV News from Vancouver and Solarina Ho from CTV News
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