2024-08-16 18:41:33
(Montreal) The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is closely monitoring the resurgence of monkeypox (mpox) in certain African countries. Although public health authorities overall consider the risk of contracting MPOX to be low, one of the more dangerous variants may be spreading in Canada.
Published on August 16
Catherine Desautel Canadian Press
Benoit Barbeau, a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Quebec and a virology expert, believes that it is only a matter of time before the problematic sub-variants plaguing Africa reach Canadian soil. “The well-known subtype Ib is coming to Canada. I’m not saying it’s going to cause a huge problem, but it reminds us that these viruses can evolve,” he said.
There are two main varieties of monkeypox. The branch that currently exists in Canada is clade II, which is not the most concerning. Clade I is a more dangerous variant. “What is currently worrying in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the emergence of a new group I variant, which is more contagious, more transmissible and more dangerous,” Mr. Gbagbo commented.
“I don’t think we need to worry too much, but now, as we get into the fall, we’re going to have a mix of respiratory viruses, so we don’t want to add too many infectious agents,” the expert explained.
As of August 12, 164 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Canada since the beginning of 2024. This is significantly lower than the 527 cases reported during the 2022 outbreak.
The health ministry expects Quebec will see sporadic cases, “particularly during the summer due to travel, and some regions, including the United States and Ontario, will see slight increases in case numbers compared to 2023.” He cautioned that vaccinations will always be It is provided for high-risk groups.
Vaccination too little, too late
Most of Canada’s cases have been acquired domestically, suggesting “localized and sustained transmission.” PHAC said the severity of cases in the country remains low and hospitalizations are rare. No deaths have been reported so far.
Mr Gbagbo believes a global vaccination drive in Africa could have prevented the virus from mutating in this way before the current resurgence. “These are endemic countries, so the virus was already there, but the virus grew enough for the virus to evolve. The fact that we allowed this more active transmission resulted in sub-variants,” he explained.
“We want to contain, but also be able to manage, more severe cases of infection. The virus may be added to the mix – probably not in an alarming way – but that’s it. If we can be more proactive in getting those most affected We could have done better by vaccinating African populations in serious countries rather than leaving them behind. »
It is this carelessness that could create further problems, even now in the context of action on the continent, the possibility of excesses, epidemics, and even more so in Canada.
Benoit Barbeau, professor at the Department of Biological Sciences and virology expert at the University of Quebec
World Health Organization declares public health emergency
This week, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the increasing number of affected countries in Africa and the emergence of new MPOX clade I strains. WHO will issue advice on this situation in the coming days.
Global Affairs Canada said it is working with GAVI, the organization trying to ensure that different vaccines for different diseases are distributed equitably around the world. Canada is exploring the possibility of making donations to ensure vaccines are available to those who need them most.
Mr. Gbagbo stressed the importance of getting vaccines to countries in need. “We know there is a risk of infection here, but we still need to take action where the intensity of transmission is highest,” he said.
The Government of Canada ensures there is a sufficient supply of monkeypox vaccine to meet the needs of the provinces and territories. He mentioned that he is also working closely with the WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization to explore other ways to support the global response.
“In terms of doses of smallpox and monkeypox vaccine that are stored in Canada, we don’t have large doses,” Mr. Gbagbo said. So, I don’t know where the discussion goes, but certainly we can’t send them millions of doses. »
Virology experts note that providing vaccines is not the only way to help. “There’s a whole logistics behind the distribution of doses in areas that are inaccessible in different countries in Africa,” he said. So it’s not necessarily that simple. It’s one thing to send it, it’s another thing to be able to make sure we can vaccinate people. […] But what is certain is that without doses, there is nothing we can do. »
Since July 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been monitoring MPOX viruses through wastewater surveillance. Tests were performed to detect clade I and clade II. To date, no cases of clade I have been identified in Canada.
The Canadian Press’ health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
1723971093
#Monkeypox #outbreak #Africa #Canada #paying #close #attention #situation #spillover
