On Tuesday, health officials in Canada announced the discovery of 10 new cases of monkeypox in Quebec, bringing the total to 15, with more cases expected in other provinces.
Monkeypox, which has been detected in recent weeks in Europe and North America, is a rare African disease that usually resolves on its own.
We expect more cases to be confirmed in the coming days,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, who said more samples were being analyzed.
He stated that the federal government had made the Imvamune vaccine and other drugs from the national emergency strategic reserve available.
On Tuesday, the first doses of the vaccine were delivered to the province of Quebec.
Although there is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, a smallpox vaccine can provide protection in the event of contact.
Canada confirmed its first two cases in the French-speaking province last week.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans from infected animals, most commonly rodents. According to Inserm, a major French medical research institute, the virus was discovered in 1958 in a group of macaques being studied for research purposes, hence its name.
