Public health authorities are investigating 17 suspected cases of monkeypox in the Montreal area. Dr. Mylène Drouin told reporters Thursday the cases have not yet been confirmed by a laboratory, but she says based on recent outbreaks in Europe and a case reported in the United States, there is a “strong possibility” they involve the virus linked to monkeypox.
She says the first cases in Montreal were reported on May 12 from clinics specializing in sexually transmitted diseases, adding that they are tied mostly to men who have had sexual relations with other men. Read more: U.S.
confirms monkeypox case in man who recently travelled to Canada Drouin says most cases identified in the city are not severe, and their symptoms involve a period of fever and sweating followed by the appearance of a painful rash in the genital area.
Monkeypox is typically limited to Africa, and rare cases in the United States and elsewhere are usually linked to travel there.