This morning, Friday, May 20, Montreal Public Health revealed that 18 people were currently under observation due to symptoms similar to monkeypox, a disease mainly present “naturally” in regions of Africa. Central and West Africa, which looks a bit like smallpox.

In a press briefing on May 19, the regional director of public health for the Montreal region, Dr. Mylène Drouin, was reassuring, calling on the population not to panic in the face of this possible outbreak.

Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reported the first case of the infection in a person who had transited through Canada. Well, it seems that the disease has indeed arrived in Quebec, since the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed, on May 20, 2022, two new cases resulting from investigations carried out on patients. .es living in Greater Montreal.

During the press conference on May 19, Dr. Mylène Drouin wanted to provide more information about potentially contaminated individuals: “These are mainly men aged between 30 and 55 years old. […] The whole of the cases for the moment are not severe cases ”.

Although the presence of monkeypox is currently of concern to health authorities, it is not very contagious among humans, according to the PHAC: “Person-to-person transmission of monkeypox is infrequent. However, when one person infects another, transmission occurs through close contact with an infected person, including direct contact with body fluids, respiratory droplets, or lesions infected with monkeypox or sharing clothing, bedding, or common items that have been contaminated with body fluids or lesions from an infected person. »

You, therefore, have little chance of catching it while practicing your daily activities: “We don’t have to panic at the population level. It takes close contact. By doing your grocery shopping, taking the metro, with your activities, there is currently no risk. “, mentioned Dr. Drouin in front of the journalists.The investigation is continuing and the experts are following the situation very closely.