Photo of Halton Region headquarters, courtesy of Halton Region
The heavily reported monkeypox virus has made its way into Halton.
The Halton Region Public Health has confirmed Halton’s first reported case of monkeypox virus. The individual is currently isolating at home and all contacts have been notified by Halton Region Public Health.
“While most people infected with monkeypox will have mild symptoms, some people such as children, pregnant women and those with immunodeficiencies are at higher risk for severe disease,” says Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “If you have symptoms of monkeypox, it is important to stay home and call your doctor to be assessed. When seeking medical care you should wear a high quality medical mask and cover up all lesions.”
The Region also provided this description of the virus:
Monkeypox is a disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms of monkeypox typically include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, low energy, muscle aches and skin rash or lesions. The rash usually begins within one to three days of the start of a fever. Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and can then crust, dry up and fall off, much like chickenpox. The number of lesions on one person can range from a few to several thousand. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Symptoms can start within five to 21 days after exposure to monkeypox, but usually appear in six to 13 days. Symptoms last between two to four weeks and go away on their own without treatment. A person infected with monkeypox can be contagious five days prior to the onset of rash until the rash has cleared and new skin has formed after a few weeks.
The virus can spread from person-to-person by respiratory secretions, direct contact with skin lesions, and/or contact with materials contaminated with the virus (for example, bedding, clothing). The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or mucous membranes (for example, mouth, nose, eyes). Transmission through respiratory secretions requires prolonged face to face contact with close proximity to an infected person.
Halton Region Public Health continues to monitor the situation, investigate suspected and confirmed cases and complete contact tracing. For more information on the virus, visit Halton Region’s monkeypox webpage.
