A probable case of monkeypox has been detected in a toddler in Montreal, a first in Canada, according to experts who disagree on the potential impact of this new development in the epidemic.
Posted at 9:35 p.m.
Montreal Public Health has confirmed that the case was detected in a toddler aged 0 to 4 years old.
For confidentiality reasons, it was not possible to obtain more details about the child’s state of health or the circumstances that led to his infection.
If the case is still considered “probable”, it means that the results of tests conducted in a laboratory in Winnipeg are awaited, but the chances are very high that it will be confirmed, said a spokesperson for the Health. public of Montreal, Francis Picard.
A first case in the country?
According to two experts consulted by The Press, it could be the first case detected in a toddler in the country. The news also comes just hours after the first death possibly caused by monkeypox was recorded in the United States since the recent outbreak began.
Faced with a tenacious belief that monkeypox is transmitted only through sexual contact, infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the McGill University Health Center Donald Vinh insists that the virus can also be caught through prolonged contact with a person or more contaminated objects.
We know that direct contact is not necessarily with someone, but it could also be with biological fluid, either on sores, but on clothes, and also bedding which could be contaminated.
Donald Vinh, infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the McGill University Health Center
Although we still have few details on how the toddler could have contracted the virus, the professor-researcher specializing in immunology and virology at the National Institute for Scientific Research Alain Lamarre also suspects prolonged contact “with an infected person or a person who has had repeated contact with one of the child’s parents”.
According to Donald Vinh, this new case in a young child is a bad omen for the future. The authorities should put in place intervention protocols for outbreaks in school settings, he believes.
“If it ends up in schools, it will be too late. One cannot rely solely on teachers who are already overwhelmed to inspect all children. Parents don’t know what to do either,” he says.
On the right track
According to Alain Lamarre, however, this is an “isolated case” which occurs at a time when the monkeypox epidemic is running out of steam in the country.
It’s very infrequent [chez des enfants en bas âge]. The current measures put in place by Public Health are working. The epidemic is under control in Canada. We are on the right path.
Alain Lamarre, professor-researcher specializing in immunology and virology at the National Institute for Scientific Research
Recall that the reported symptoms of monkeypox consist mainly of skin lesions in the mouth and genitals. In the majority of cases, the disease resolves on its own within two to four weeks, but in very rare cases, serious complications can occur.
In Quebec, a vaccine is offered to fight monkeypox. However, it is reserved for certain categories of the population targeted by Public Health.
With Agence France-Presse