Ontario reports 101 confirmed monkeypox cases across province

Public HealthOntariois reporting 101 confirmed monkeypox cases across the province, up from 33 cases two weeks ago.

A summary report on the disease up to July 4 says there are also eight probable cases inOntario.

The report says 85 cases are in Toronto, with more than one caseeach in health units covering Ottawa, Halton Region and Middlesex-London.

Health units in Hamilton, Durham Region, EasternOntario, Haldimand-Norfolk, Peel Region, Peterborough, Simcoe-Muskoka andGuelph also confirmed single cases.

All reported cases are in men between the ages of 20 and 65 andcommonly reported symptoms include rash, oral and genital lesions, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, chills, myalgia and fatigue.

Monkeypox generally does not spread easily between people and is transmitted through prolonged close contact via respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, orthrough contaminated clothes or bedding.

The disease comes from the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, which the World Health Organization declared eradicatedaround the globe in 1980.

Smallpox vaccines have proven effective in combating the monkeypox virus.