Mpox case detected in Manitoba [Video]

A Manitoba virologist said he is not surprised by the first confirmed mpox case in the province.

“The reality is that it’s not that surprising,” said Jason Kindrachuk, who is also an associate professor of medical microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba.

“We’ve been on the ground in [the Democratic Republic of the Congo]… really fighting on the frontlines in terms of mpox response for close to 24 months. We knew that as the virus continued to expand, we’d likely see international introductions.”

Kindrachuk’s comments come less than a week after Manitoba reported a confirmed case of clade I mpox has been identified in the province. This travel-related case is linked to an ongoing outbreak in central and eastern Africa.

Kindrachuk described the case in Manitoba as a “low-risk situation,” adding that the country has a good surveillance system, as well as strong diagnostic testing and vaccine …