Seventeen suspected cases of monkey pox are currently under investigation in Greater Montreal, including 15 in Montreal, said the Montreal Regional Public Health Department (DRSP), Thursday morning.
• Read also: Here’s what we know about monkeypox
• Read also: First case of monkeypox in Sweden
• Read also: A dozen suspected cases in Montreal
“We are still awaiting laboratory confirmation. So, for now, these are still suspicious cases, but seeing the evolution of what is happening around the world and the case that comes from the United States, we suspect that it is very possible that it is monkeypox,” said Dr.D Mylène Drouin, director of the DRSP, at a press briefing.
For the moment, the cases concern mainly men aged 30 to 55 who have had homosexual relations. The DD Drouin nevertheless made it clear that it is not a sexually transmitted infection and by blood (STBBI).
“It’s not very contagious. It takes prolonged contact, by droplet, to achieve transmission, ”she explained, stressing that there is currently no reason to panic for the population.
The virus has an incubation period of 5 to 21 days after contact. The first symptoms begin with the appearance of a fever, chills and headache, before being followed, three to five days later, by rashes.
“What we see is a bit of an unusual shape and the incubation periods seem much shorter than the 5 to 21 days that the literature tells us now. It is something that we will monitor, ”said the DD Drouin.
She indicated that the DRSP could confirm the presence of the disease in the coming days, and that it will be necessary to wait to have a better understanding of it.
Listen to Benoît Dutrizac’s interview with Dr. Réjean Thomas on QUB Radio:
“There are a lot of uncertainties. The form and clinical presentation we currently have is not typical of what we have seen in previous outbreaks,” she explained.
Contagion
The affected person becomes contagious five days before the onset of symptoms and remains so until the lesions resolve.
The DRSP recommends that those with symptoms isolate themselves, wear a mask and cover the lesions.
So far, all suspected cases have had mild forms of the disease. No specific treatment yet exists for those affected. The DRSP recommends staying at home and waiting for the symptoms to end.
In Britain, a vaccine is said to be used against monkeypox. “For now, this is a matter that must be addressed at the provincial and federal level,” said the DD Drouin.
For healthcare workers, the DRSP recommends a cautious approach, with the wearing of full protective equipment. “These are recommendations that may evolve over time and as we acquire more knowledge on the subject,” said Dr.D Geneviève Bergeron, Medical Manager, Health Emergencies and Infectious Diseases at the DRSP.