Ontario reports 58 new monkeypox cases in past three days

In this photo provided by the Unidad de Microscop­a Electronica del ISCIII in Madrid, on Thursday May 26, 2022, an electronic microscope image shows the monkeypox virus seen by a team from the Arbovirus Laboratory and the Genomics and Bioinformatics Units of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) in Madrid. (Unidad de Microscopa Electronica del ISCIII, via AP)

Ontario says its total confirmed count of monkeypox cases increased by 58 since Tuesday, with hospitals admitting a second infected person into an ICU.

The number of confirmed cases is up by about 20 per cent since Tuesday.

There are now 288 confirmed cases of the infection in Ontario, up from 230 on July 19, 156 on July 14 and 133 on July 11.

Public Health Ontario says there remains only one confirmed case in a female, with all other cases in males.

More than 76 per cent (220) of the cases involve residents of Toronto.

There are nine other probable cases still under investigation, including two in adult females.

Since Tuesday, health officials say a second person admitted to hospital for monkeypox has required transfer to the ICU.

There have been a total of nine hospitalizations and two ICU admissions related to monkeypox in Ontario to date.

Across the province, Hamilton is reporting seven total cases, Halton is reporting eight, Middlesex-London has reported 10 to date and Ottawa has reported 21.

No deaths have been reported in Ontario.

The most commonly reported symptoms include rash, oral/genital lesions, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, chills, myalgia and fatigue.

Monkeypox typically spreads through sustained close contact between people breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing.

It can also spread through skin-to-skin contact with rashes or bodily fluids and can also remain on items such as clothing or bedsheets that have made contact with an infected person.

Symptoms can present anywhere between five to 21 days after exposure.

Infected persons can remain contagious through skin contact for up to four weeks.

Ontario is now testing anyone who shows up to a healthcare provider or emergency room with an “unexplained acute rash or lesion(s).”

Federal guidelines indicate the smallpox vaccine is most effective if administered within four days of exposure to a case, but can help if administered up to 14 days after exposure.

The City of Toronto continues to offer the Imvamune smallpox vaccine to people considered to be at high risk of exposure.

There is also a therapeutic known as TPoxx which has shown to be helpful in cases where patients suffered severe complications from infection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) now says it is aware of 15,734 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 59 countries around the world, including three deaths.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says it is aware of 681 confirmed cases across Canada, with most in Ontario and Quebec.