Canada Detects First Case of Clade I Mpox

On November 22, 2024, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed the first case of clade I mpox in Canada in an individual in Manitoba.

This travel-related case is associated with an ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox in central and eastern Africa.

The individual sought medical care for mpox symptoms shortly after returning to Canada and is currently in isolation.

Public health officials are conducting contact tracing and closely monitoring the situation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated on Friday that mpox remains a global public health emergency.

This marks the second time in two years that the WHO has declared such an emergency, initially triggered by the spread of the subvariant 1B from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

While PHAC has emphasized that the risk to the general public in Canada remains low, it continues to maintain active surveillance and public health measures to ensure the containment of the virus.