Canada does not rule out that the monkeypox evolved and changed its form of contagion, after the appearance of several cases on its territory and in other countries far from Africa, where the disease is more common.
Canada’s public health director Theresa Tam said Friday she was analyzing samples from about 24 people who may be infected.
She said health authorities are trying to determine if the cases are linked to travel to the African continent.
Theresa Tam said the emergence of such a large number of cases outside of Africa, where the disease is endemic, is an unusual event and wondered if the disease had evolved to the point where it changed the way of transmission.
“We have to be open to the fact that something may have evolved and changed,” he commented.
Meanwhile, Canada is trying to increase its stockpile of doses of the smallpox vaccine, which has also been shown to be effective against monkeypox, the director said.
Yesterday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Quebec Ministry of Health confirmed the first two cases of monkeypox in the country: both were in Montreal, a city which is also linked to the first confirmed case. .
Additionally, health officials are investigating another 20 possible cases, most of them in Montreal, but also across the country in the province of British Columbia.
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