Monkeypox has arrived in Saskatchewan. Public health officials have confirmed a case of the rare disease, caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Symptoms include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes. Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Julie Kryzanowski, says the risk in Saskatchewan and across Canada remains low, but she encourages everyone to be aware of the symptoms and contact a health care provider if they suspect they may be infected.
Symptoms include a characteristic rash which has been preceded, by one to three days of fever, feeling unwell, muscle aches and headaches. The province isn’t releasing any information about where the person is who has contracted monkeypox or any other details. Health officials will provide public notification to a community or location if the risk to others is considered high.
Dr. Kryzanowski says monkeypox doesn’t spread easily from person to person. Public health’s investigation, including contact tracing, is underway but indicates acquisition likely occurred outside of the province. She notes that this is Saskatchewan’s first confirmed case, but there are also other cases which are going through testing as well.
It is spread through:
-prolonged face-to-face close contact
-touching bodily fluids or lesions of a person who is sick with the disease, or exposure to contaminated objects such as bed linens or clothing.
If you have recently travelled to areas of Canada or the world with confirmed cases of monkeypox or have been in contact with an individual with suspected or confirmed monkeypox, and develop fever or other symptoms of illness within three weeks of returning to Saskatchewan, you should call HealthLine 811 or consult a health care provider immediately.
The Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority have increased surveillance for monkeypox and have alerted health care providers about signs, symptoms and treatment. The province will continue to work with the Public Health Agency of Canada and National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to investigate any further potential cases of monkeypox in Saskatchewan.
