Windsor-Essex confirms 1st case of monkeypox in the region
Risk of transmission is low, health unit in southwestern Ontario says
The public health unit in Windsor-Essex has confirmed the region has diagnosed its first case of monkeypox.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) said Wednesday the case was confirmed through lab testing.
"At this time, the risk of monkeypox transmission in the community remains low," Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting medical officer of health in the southwestern Ontario region, said in a media release.
"Although cases have mostly been identified among males who report sexual or intimate contact with other males, anyone can get monkeypox. The most commonly reported risk factors include engaging in sexual or intimate contact with new and/or more than one partner."
Monkeypox symptoms usually develop seven to 14 days after exposure. WECHU says symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion, followed by a rash.
As of a report published July 18, there were 230 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Ontario.