The Middlesex-London Health Unit has reported it’s first Monkeypox case in our region Monday.
The person diagnosed has NOT been in close contact with anyone. The first case of Monkeypox was discovered in Canada on May 19th and additional cases were reported in the USA and Europe.
Monkeypox is a viral illness, which is endemic in parts of central and western Africa. Symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy, followed by the development of a rash.
It can be spread to people through direct contact with the bodily fluids or lesions of infected people or animals, as well as from contaminated clothing or bedding and through respiratory droplets following prolonged exposure to an infected person.
The rash you can get can appear on the face and extremities a few days after symptoms begin and can spread to other parts of the body. A person is considered infectious from five days before the onset of their rash until their lesions have crusted over, and the scabs have dried up and fallen off.
There is no specific treatment for monkeypox virus infection, although antivirals developed for use against smallpox and post-exposure vaccination with the smallpox vaccine may help.
Evidence shows that prior vaccination against smallpox provides cross-protection against Monkeypox.
The Health Unit will continue to monitor the situation closely and will continue to work with local healthcare providers to identify any other potential cases. For more information about Monkeypox, visit the Ministry of Health’s website: https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/emb/monkeypox.aspx
Written by Kyla Close
