OTTAWA, July 13 (Xinhua) — The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed a total of 477 cases of monkeypox on Wednesday.
PHAC provided an update on confirmed cases which include 284 cases in Quebec, 156 in Ontario, 29 in British Columbia and eight in Alberta.
That number might change as provinces and territories continue to receive confirmatory test results from PHAC’s National Microbiology Laboratory, she said.
According to PHAC, provinces and territories are reviewing case data in their jurisdictions, and those who meet the case criteria will be flagged to it for inclusion in the national investigation.
The National Microbiology Laboratory performs diagnostic tests for the virus that causes monkeypox. Additionally, it is performing whole genome sequencing, an enhanced fingerprint analysis, on Canadian monkeypox samples, PHAC said.
Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonosis that can cause infections in humans. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which belongs to the orthopoxvirus family, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). End
