Winnipeg travellers take flight amid monkeypox concerns

Canadians travelling internationally are being warned about monkeypox, as outbreaks of the disease have been reported in dozens of countries including Canada.

For Winnipeggers Aidan Stewart and Joshua Thatcher, Paris awaits.

"I haven't been anywhere other than Canada for quite a few years now so I'm excited to see the rest of the world again," Stewart told CTV News in the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport as he prepared to board a flight.

The two friends are set to start their European adventure, but there is some concern lingering.

A Level 2 travel notice has been issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada. It's warning travellers about monkeypox, a disease caused by a virus usually found in parts of Africa. In recent weeks, outbreaks have been reported in 29 other countries including Canada.

As of Tuesday, there have been 81 monkeypox cases in Canada, the majority in Quebec. Globally more than 1,000 cases have been reported to the World Health Organization.

The outbreaks have prompted a warning to travellers.

"You may have limited access to timely and appropriate health care should you become ill, and may experience delays in returning home," the notice from the Public Health Agency of Canada reads. "Be particularly vigilant if you are planning to attend a large party or mass gathering while travelling.”

According to the travel notice, monkeypox cases usually are mild, but symptoms can last for several weeks.

Travel Pharmacist Ryan Buffie said a Level 2 travel notice like this is a precautionary one.

"You want to take some of the same precautions we learned from COVID," he said. "Avoiding crowded places, close contact with people, wearing masks."

His advice is to avoid sick people because transmission can happen – like COVID – through respiratory droplets.

"It's also possible there can be transmission through clothes or linens that the person has touched if their sores are weeping," he said.

The notice is enough to stop some from international travel, but Thatcher and Stewart aren't modifying their plans.

"I don't think we planned to do many activities that involve close contact, so yeah not really a big deal," said Stewart.

There have been no suspected or confirmed cases in Manitoba according to public health.