MONTREAL – The Quebec Department of Health says 52 cases of monkeypox in the province have been confirmed.
Health officials said in a tweet on Wednesday afternoon that the number of confirmed cases was on Tuesday, more than the 25 cases reported a week earlier.
Smallpox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared eradicated worldwide in 1980.
Smallpox is not easily transmitted between people and is transmitted by prolonged close contact through respiratory drops, direct contact with skin lesions or body fluids, or by contaminated clothing or bedding.
Health officials say people suspected of having the virus, as well as those living under the same roof, should be isolated.
They should also wear a mask, cover injuries and avoid sharing clothes, bedding or utensils with others.
The province began administering doses of the Imvamune smallpox vaccine last week, reserved for close contacts at high risk of developing the disease.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 1, 2022.
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