(Montreal) The resurgence of monkeypox (Mpox) in certain African countries is being closely monitored by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). One of the more dangerous variants is likely to spread in Canada, although public health considers the overall risk of contracting Mpox to be low.
Benoit Barbeau, a professor in the Department of Life Sciences at UQAM and an expert in virology, believes it is only a matter of time before the problematic subvariant plaguing Africa arrives on Canadian soil. “The famous Ib subvariant will arrive in Canada. I’m not saying it will create major problems, but it reminds us that these viruses can evolve,” he says.
There are two main variants of monkeypox. Currently in Canada there is Clade II, which is not particularly concerning. Clade I is a more dangerous variant. “What is currently causing concern in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is the fact that there is a new Group I variant that is more contagious, more transmissible and more dangerous,” commented Mr. Barbeau.
“I don’t think we need to worry too much, but now that fall is approaching, we will have a cocktail of respiratory viruses, so we don’t want to add too many infectious agents,” explains the expert.
As of August 12, 164 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Canada since the beginning of 2024. Quebec’s Health Ministry reported that 10 cases were recorded in the province during that period, significantly fewer than the 527 cases reported in 2022 during the outbreak.
The Ministry of Health expects sporadic cases to be detected in Quebec, “particularly during the summer season due to travel and after a slight increase compared to 2023 in certain regions, including the United States and Ontario.” It recalls that vaccination will always be offered to people at risk.
Too little, too late for vaccination
Most cases in Canada have been acquired domestically, suggesting “local and sustained transmission.” PHAC said the severity of cases in the country remains low and hospitalizations are rare. No deaths have been reported so far.
Mr Barbeau believes that a global vaccination effort in Africa before the current resurgence could have prevented such a mutation of the virus. “Because these were endemic countries, the virus was already there, but there was enough of a surge for the virus to evolve. “The fact that we allowed this more active transmission led to sub-variants,” he explains.
“We want to contain more serious cases of infection, but also be able to manage them. This virus may be added – probably not in a worrying way – but that is yet another one. And we could have acted better if we had managed to vaccinate the African population more actively in the most affected countries, instead of leaving them out.”
It is this negligence that can create further problems, and even if it is now operating on the African continent, in Canada it can lead to excesses, epidemics and more local outbreaks.
Benoit Barbeau, professor in the Department of Life Sciences at UQAM and expert in virology
WHO declares health emergency
This week, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the growing number of affected countries in Africa and the emergence of a new Mpox clade I strain. WHO recommendations on this situation will be published in the coming days.
Global Affairs Canada says it is working with Gavi, the organization that ensures that different vaccines for different diseases are distributed equitably around the world. Canada is exploring the possibility of donations to ensure that the vaccines reach those who need them most.
Mr Barbeau stresses the importance of getting vaccines to the countries that need them. “We know there is a risk of infection here, but we still have to act where the intensity of transmission is highest,” he argues.
The Canadian government is ensuring it has sufficient supplies of monkeypox vaccines to meet the needs of its provinces and territories. He mentioned that he is also exploring other ways to support the global response, working closely with WHO and Gavi.
“What we have stored in Canada in terms of vaccine doses against the smallpox virus and the monkeypox virus, we don’t have huge doses,” says Mr. Barbeau. So I don’t know where the discussions have reached, but it is certain that we cannot send them millions of doses. »
The virology expert points out that providing vaccines is not the only way to help. “There is a whole logistics behind distributing the doses to regions that are a little less accessible in the different African countries,” he said. So it’s not necessarily that simple. It’s one thing to ship it, another to make sure we can vaccinate people. […] But one thing is certain: we can’t do anything if the doses aren’t there. »
Since July 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been monitoring the Mpox virus through wastewater surveillance. Tests are being conducted to detect Clade I and Clade II. To date, no cases of Clade I have been identified in Canada.
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