Canada registers until this Friday 77 confirmed cases of the so-called monkeypoxalmost all detected in Quebecwhere the authorities consider the situation “worrying”.

The North American nation had confirmed its first two cases on May 20 in this French-speaking province.

A situation deemed “worrying”, explained Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief administrator of the Federal Public Health Agency of Canada, during a press conference. The authorities fear in particular “that cases are familial and affect pregnant women or young children“, he added.

Njoo also clarified that this spread is “not (restricted) to any particular group or context” and can therefore affect “anyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.”

In this sense, vaccines against smallpox were delivered to the province. They can be effective in protecting contact cases because there is no specific cure for monkeypox, which usually goes away on its own.

The monkeypox it is mainly a mild disease, but its spread outside endemic areas, such as West Africa, remains a concern.

Chart. What is monkey pox?

Monkeypox is a rare disease transmitted by contact with animals or by close contact with infected people or contaminated equipment. https://t.co/iVJYTXII2W pic.twitter.com/G7W1Q2dMr0

— USA Live (@Vive_USA) May 23, 2022

Since the start of the current peak in cases almost a month ago, 550 cases have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 30 countries, mainly in Europe, where the disease is not endemic and is very rarely detected.

This infectious disease is characterized by the appearance of rashes, which can be painful, especially if they are in sensitive areas such as the genitals.