Cases of mpox have more than quadrupled in Toronto, health officials in the city say, urging those at risk to get vaccinated.
As of July 31, there have been 93 confirmed cases of mpox, up from 21 cases reported during the same period last year, Toronto Public Health said in a news release on Tuesday. The increase was driven by more cases in June and July “following major events and festivals in the city,” the agency said.
“Currently, mpox has spread mostly between people who have had close/intimate or sexual contact with a person who has the virus – with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men being most affected,” the TPH notice says.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, spreads person-to-person in a variety of ways, including through contact with lesions or scabs or through bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva or semen, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Most mpox cases are mild but the virus can kill.
Toronto’s warning comes as authorities in Africa declared a health emergency as a result of the virus, which is spreading rapidly in the general population. The vast majority of deaths have been among children.
Africa CDC declares health emergency over mpox, warns of ‘global threat’ as virus explodes
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said last week it is hoping for help from international partners to access more doses of vaccines, worrying the current outbreak could escalate into another pandemic.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has a stockpile of mpox vaccines – it does not disclose how much – but told The Globe and Mail this week the agency has not been asked to donate doses and has no plans to do so.
TPH recommends two doses of the vaccine to provide the best protection, with the second dose taken 28 days after the first. However, according to a report released by Public Health Ontario on Aug. 6, only roughly a third of individuals who received a first dose also got a second one
Toronto cases of mpox make up the vast majority of the growth of cases provincewide: Between Jan. 1 and July 13, Ontario recorded 102 confirmed cases of mpox. In comparison, only 33 confirmed cases were reported in 2023.
“TPH continues to monitor the transmission of mpox in the city and trends provincially, nationally and globally and encourage individuals at risk to get immunized,” said Rita Shahin, the agency’s associate medical officer of health.
Andrew Bennett, lead physician at Safer Six, a sexual health clinic in Toronto, said the uptick in cases is “something that we need to have on our radar for sure, and certain demographics of patients need to be aware.
“It is still something within our communities and should not be forgetful that this is the case, and it is still circulating within many areas of the world,” Dr. Bennett said in an e-mail.
He said it’s important to seek medical advice if anyone develops new skin symptoms – such as lesions, bumps, rashes or ulcers – especially if their cause is uncertain. He advised individuals to visit a local health clinic to assess risk factors and consider testing if necessary.
In British Columbia, 19 cases of mpox have been reported since Jan. 1, compared to 20 cases reported for all of 2023, said Heather Amos, a spokesperson for the BC Centre for Disease Control.
She noted that some of the 2024 cases were associated with travel and some were acquired locally.
With a report from Reuters