The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) increased its alert level for monkeypox to Level 2 — the middle of its three-level alert system..Along with its call for heightened vigilance, the US is now encouraging travelling Americans to “practice enhanced precautions” as the number of outbreaks continues to increase..The advice includes donning face masks during travel and to avoid any close contact with sick animals and people, especially those with skin lesions..More than 1,000 people have now been diagnosed with the virus around the world..The virus has now spread to 29 countries and is showing up in places the virus is normally rarely seen..Health officials are repeating the risk to the general public is still low, but they’re now announcing the updated advice in the context the virus’s global spread..“You should seek medical care immediately if you develop [a] new, unexplained skin rash ... with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others,” the guidance reads..Other CDC Level-2 precautions are:.• Avoid contact with dead or live wild animals. This includes rodents such as rats and squirrels and nonhuman primates such as monkeys and apes..• Avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game or using products derived from wild animals from Africa such as creams, lotions, and powders..• Avoid contact with contaminated materials used by sick people such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings or with materials that came into contact with infected animals..Monkeypox is a viral disease discovered in 1958 in lab monkeys. It is usually found in central and west Africa where, in some countries, it has become endemic..The disease can spread through contact with animals, infected people, and bodily fluids. It can also be spread through respiratory droplets, but only in close-contact situations..Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, and a body rash. In rare cases, the infection can cause death..Factors such as malnutrition — which increase the likelihood of severe illness and death — may mean that worldwide death rates are not directly relevant Canada and the US..To date, there have been no deaths from monkeypox reported in either the US or Canada..This recent outbreak was first identified in Europe in early May in an individual who had travelled to Nigeria where monkeypox is endemic. Since this first identified case, more than 1,000 cases have spread to almost 30 countries..The US has 36,000 doses of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine in the strategic national stockpile and is adding 36,000 more as the infectious disease spreads around the world..The additional 36,000 doses, from Danish vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, are expected to arrive in the US in the near future, CNBC reported on Monday. The drug maker is holding more than one million doses for the US and can provide more than 16 million additional vaccines if and when the federal government requests them..Bavarian Nordic reported Tuesday the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) will be purchasing the IMVAMUNE® smallpox vaccine at a value of approximately USD$56 million..The non-replicating smallpox vaccine is approved for use against monkeypox in Canada — the only other territory outside the US..Paul Chaplin, president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, said, “We are pleased to extend our collaboration with the Government of Canada. We applaud the Government of Canada for their long-term planning, allowing us to execute on this contract in a timely manner.”.Deliveries of vaccines under this five-year contract are expected to begin in 2023..Public Health Agency of Canada published its weekly report on the country's monkeypox infection on Tuesday. Provinces and territories publicly reported 81 cases of monkeypox, to date.
