Clade I Mpox reaches Canada: What you need to know

A few days after the USA reported its first case of Clade I mpox, Canada has followed suit. The country’s health agency has confirmed the entry of the severe strain of mpox in a person in Manitoba. The travel-related case has been linked to an ongoing outbreak of

clade I mpox

in central and Eastern Africa, said the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“The individual sought medical care for

mpox symptoms

in Canada shortly after their return and is currently isolating,” the agency said in a statement.
“PHAC is working closely with public health authorities in Manitoba. The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) notified the province on November 22 that the sample tested positive for mpox clade Ib,” the agency added.

Clade I continues to spread

After the outbreak in Africa, Clade I is being detected in several countries. It is not only more transmissible than the Clade II strain earlier in circulation, but also has more severe symptoms like more pronounced skin rashes and lesions, and more severe lymphadenopathy or swollen lymph nodes.
Plus, in case of Clade I, there is a higher chance of complications like encephalitis, pneumonia and respiratory distress, and secondary bacterial infections. This makes Clade 1 more deadly than Clade 2.

While clade II mpox has been circulating in Canada since 2022, this is the first case of clade I mpox confirmed in Canada, the PHAC further said.

Current Mpox outbreak

The World Health Organization earlier in the day had said that the mpox outbreak continues to represent a public health emergency.
The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August after a new variant of the virus, called clade Ib, spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. It is usually mild, but it can be lethal.

The PHAC added that while the risk to Canada’s general population at this time remains low, it continues to actively monitor the situation. It also said that a public health investigation, including contact tracing, is ongoing.
This new strain is especially becoming a concern for children as they are experiencing more severe disease than adults, which was not the case with Clade II.