Monkeypox has been confirmed in Northern Ontario.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts says the case is a person from its service area that "likely acquired the infection" in the Toronto area - where the majority of Ontario's cases have been reported, or linked to.
The individual's isolating, while close contacts have been identified and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe assures "at this time, the risk to the general population remains low, as we have not detected the virus circulating in Sudbury and districts, and it does not spread easily", so "residents should not be concerned going about their routine everyday activities", though the health unit continues to "closely monitor the situation".
Anyone who develops symptoms or has had contact with a suspected or known case is urged to contact their health care provider, and the health unit notes vaccination is available for "high-risk" contacts.
The virus - a generally milder infectious disease from the same family as smallpox - mainly spreads through prolonged close contact with respiratory droplets, bodily fluids, or an infected person's wounds - its symptoms include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle, joint, and back pain, and exhaustion, as well as a rash on the face or extremities, hands, feet, mouth, even genitals - they typically develop five to 21 days after exposure, lasting two to four weeks.