WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MONKEYPOX

Most of the Canadian cases are in Quebec, but there also have been identified cases in Ontario, Alberta and B.C.

The virus is not likely to lead to a pandemic, but can be a serious disease, with a fatality rate ranging from one to 10 per cent, said the World Health Organization. Here’s what you need to know.

Q: What is monkeypox?

A: Monkeypox is a rare viral infection first discovered in

1958 among monkeys kept for research. The first human case was recorded in 1970 in a ninemonth-old boy in the Congo. Since then, monkeypox cases have been reported in several African countries, including Cameroon, Cote d’ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, mostly in rural, rainforest regions. Historically, monkeypox is typically limited to Africa. Cases outside the continent are rare and usually linked to international travel or imported animals, usually rodents. That’s why the new rash of recent cases in Europe and North America has triggered concern.

Q: How contagious is monkeypox?

A: Monkeypox is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human or contaminated objects. It can enter the body through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose and mouth). The virus doesn’t spread easily between people. Human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through large respiratory droplets, and through close and prolonged contact, said experts. Health officials said there is no risk in contracting the virus through activities like eating at restaurants or taking public transit.

Q: What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

A: Symptoms are similar to smallpox, but milder. It usually begins with flu-like symptoms — fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue — followed by a bumpy rash, or pox, which starts on the chest and spreads to the hands and feet. Monkeypox infection is also characterized by swollen lymph nodes. The Public Health Agency of Canada says incubation is approximately seven to 17 days. Q: How serious is monkeypox?

A: Cases are usually mild and most people recover within two weeks to a month. But it can be deadly. The fatality rate is between one and 10 per cent, depending on the strain of the virus. The Congo Basin strain has a fatality rate of 10 per cent, while the West African strain is milder with a one-per-cent death rate. In the U.K., infections have been identified to be caused by the West African strain. It is not clear what strain patients in Quebec contracted.

Q: How is monkeypox treated?

A: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says there’s no proven treatment for the disease. Treatment is usually to ease symptoms. There is no cure or specific vaccine against monkeypox, but data shows the smallpox vaccine is about 85-per-cent effective against monkeypox.