VANCOUVER — The Center for Disease Control in British Columbia is reporting the first case of monkeypox in that province, bringing the total toll in the country to 79 cases.
The center’s lab has confirmed the infection in a Vancouver resident, but is awaiting further confirmation from the National Microbiology Laboratory.
The center says in a statement that the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is conducting a public health follow-up on the case.
Last Friday, the National Microbiology Laboratory indicated that 77 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed in Canada: 71 in Quebec, five in Ontario and one in Alberta.
This smallpox has been spreading around the world since May, with more than 700 cases detected in countries where the viral disease is not usually present, mainly in Europe.
The Center for Disease Control in British Columbia recalls that the virus can affect anyone through close person-to-person contact, but specifies that the risk for the general public remains very low.