Canada’s head of public health says there are now 112 cases of smallpox in monkeys across Canada and all those infected are men. Dr Theresa Tam told today’s briefing that there were 98 cases in Quebec, 9 in Ontario, 4 in Alberta and one in British Columbia, with other suspicious cases being investigated. He says the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that people who may be at high risk for exposure be vaccinated. But he says a mass vaccination campaign against the virus is not necessary at the moment. Tam says the disease is mainly transmitted through close physical contact, including close sexual contact, or exposure to scabies or body fluids, or even bedding. He says most of the cases are currently among men who have had sex with other men, although the virus can be spread to anyone who has had contact with an infected person. This Canadian Press report was first published on June 10, 2022.
