Manitoba confirms first case of monkeypox
Manitoba has confirmed its first case of monkeypox, saying a public health investigation is ongoing.
The province said it won't release information on the confirmed case, including the person's region of residence, gender and age to protect their identity.
"We can appreciate that many people will have questions about this case. However we need to balance that with our responsibility to protect the identity of this person," said Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer.
Public health officials confirmed an investigation is ongoing, which includes contact tracing. However, officials said the investigation indicates the virus was likely picked up outside of the province. Atwal would not say if public health believes the case was acquired outside of Canada.
The province said public health officials will notify close contacts and specific locations if the risk is considered high and the contacts are unknown.
"At this time, we believe this is an isolated case," Atwal said.
He said there is always the possibility of undetected cases, saying some people may have such mild symptoms that they haven't looked for care. Atwal said the province is also testing samples from physicians that were not specifically collected for monkeypox surveillance, however he said they have all come back negative.
"The risk to the general public remains low, but it is important for everyone to be aware of monkeypox so those that are at risk can take steps to reduce their risk and seek care and get tested if they develop symptoms," he said.
Symptoms of monkeypox are typically flu-like, including fever, headaches, muscle and back aches, chills, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes. The province said several days after symptoms appear, a rash may also show up typically on the face, hand palms or soles of the feet.
While anyone can be infected with monkeypox, Atwal said the infections reported in Canada have primarily been reported among people who self-identify as gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Atwal said the monkeypox vaccination efforts will be focused on this community.
Those individuals are available to book a vaccine appointment if they also meet the following criteria:
- If they have received a diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and/or syphilis in the past two months;
- If they have had two or more sexual partners in the last 21 days;
- If they have attended or are planning to attend locations for sexual contact;
- If they have had anonymous sex in the past 21 days or are planning to; or
- If they have engaged in sex work or plan to, either as a worker or client.
"We do not expect that most Manitobans will need to be immunized against monkeypox; however, we will continue to work with the federal government to make sure the supply of vaccine we have available aligns with the demands from the eligible populations," Atwal said.
More information about monkeypox can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.