But infectious disease experts aren’t convinced that travel curbs are needed to limit the spread, even as cases rise. Globally, more than 16,000 cases have been reported in 75 countries, according to the WHO, as of July 22. Canada has confirmed 681 cases of monkeypox as of July 23, but those numbers are expected to rise, Public Health Canada said.
Read more: Monkey pox is now a global health threat. But the risk isn’t necessarily higher in Canada, experts say
The growing threat of monkeypox has raised alarm in countries unaccustomed to seeing such an increase, as much remains unknown about the rare zoonotic infectious disease. Story continues below ad “It’s still a relatively new disease, basically entering a new population and not being controlled, and we run the risk, like COVID, of it becoming established,” said Michael Libman, an infectious disease expert and director of the JD MacLean Center for. Tropical Medicine at McGill. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease expert at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., says monkeypox doesn’t have the same ability to spread as COVID-19. “I don’t think there will be a pandemic declaration for monkeypox, mainly because it doesn’t have the same capacity for mass transmission as we saw with COVID-19,” he said. 1:56 Hundreds of monkeypox cases reported in Canada Hundreds of monkeypox cases reported in Canada According to the International Health Regulations (IHR), when a “public health emergency of international concern” is declared, international efforts are required to stop the spread of the virus. This could include sharing vaccines and treatments between countries and taking measures related to travel. Story continues below ad In light of the evolving epidemic, the WHO has recommended that anyone with symptoms, including body rash, fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue, avoid travel. That said, it does not recommend “general or targeted international travel-related measures” to stop the spread.
Read more: Canada confirms 681 monkeypox cases as WHO declares global health emergency
Last month, PHAC issued a travel advisory advising travelers to take enhanced health precautions. The United States, Australia, France, India and South Africa are among the dozens of countries included in Canada’s Level 2 advisory. “As the monkeypox outbreak evolves, the Government of Canada will continue to work with WHO, international partners and with Canadian provinces and territories to determine the best courses of action to contain the spread of monkeypox in Canada PHAC said in an emailed response. to Global News when asked about whether there will be changes to its travel advice in light of the WHO’s emergency declaration. Trending Stories
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Are travel restrictions needed?
Even as cases rise, experts see no need to restrict international travel as countries did when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic more than two years ago. Story continues below ad “I don’t think the disease itself is causing enough disruption and destruction that it would make sense to do something as drastic as shutting down large chunks of the global economy,” Liebman said. “Travel is an important piece of the puzzle, but limiting travel at this point is very unlikely to fix the problem,” he added.
Read more: Tourists among those getting smallpox shots in Montreal as global emergency declared
Monkeypox is primarily transmitted through prolonged intimate contact, and the majority of cases reported in the current outbreak involve men who have had intimate sexual contact with other men. That makes monkeypox relatively less contagious compared to COVID-19, which can also spread through the air, Libman said. Monkeypox disease is usually mild, with most people recovering on their own after a few weeks. As of January 2022, only five deaths have been reported worldwide. As the virus has already spread around the world, experts are also questioning the value of reimposing travel measures that have now been eased after pandemic-related shutdowns. “Restricting travel at this point is not going to have any impact,” Evans said. “I don’t think there should be any concern about travel to certain areas.” Story continues below ad 1:53Monkeypox: With cases up 59% in Canada, what are the signs to be aware of? Monkeypox: With cases up 59% in Canada, what are the signs to be aware of? – July 15, 2022 While Canada has eased travel restrictions related to COVID-19 this year, some still remain at points of entry, including random testing on arrival. Screening for monkeypox among travelers will be much more complicated as it involves looking for and sampling lesions, experts say. “This is not like a test for COVID, where you just swab someone’s throat or nose,” Evans said. “I think the best thing to do now is just to let people know if they’ve traveled abroad, particularly if they’re in a group with some behaviors that put them at risk, that they’re just looking for the possibility that they have the damage,” he added.
Read more: Vaccine recommended for Canadians at high risk of exposure to monkeypox
Story continues below ad Depending on how the virus continues to evolve, it could lead to some travel uncertainty going forward, as infection rates, cultures and even politics may influence how countries choose to respond. said Kerry Bowman, professor of bioethics and global health at the University of Toronto. . “What happens is you have a global declaration, but it’s up to the many, many nations of this world to make decisions about what they’re going to do individually about it,” he said. To bring the monkeypox situation under control, Liebman stressed the need for vaccination, education and behavior change. “Hopefully we can turn this thing around in a way that we haven’t been able to do with COVID,” he said. © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
