Canada confirms 1,444 monkeypox cases

Ottawa: Canada has confirmed 1,444 cases of monkeypox, including 42 hospitalisations, the Public Health Agency of Canada has said.

Of the confirmed cases, 688 are from Ontario, 525 from Quebec, 179 from British Columbia, 41 from Alberta, six from Saskatchewan, two from the Yukon and one each from Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick, the health agency was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Monkeypox case increases remain low in Canada and there have been only nine new cases for the past week.

Second doses of the monkeypox vaccine are rolling out in the country. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended monkeypox vaccine to be used as a preventative, two-dose vaccine for those at risk of exposure, with the second dose, only for people who do not have symptoms, to be administered 28 days after the first.

Monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person, including through hugs, kisses, massages or sexual intercourse, according to experts.