“I would like to remind everyone that monkeypox is not limited to just one community.” Most of the cases are currently among men who said they had had sexual contact with other men, though the virus can spread to anyone who has had close physical contact with an infected person or “contaminated objects” such as blankets, she said. The disease mainly spreads from close physical contact, including intimate sexual contact, or exposure to scabs, mucus membranes, bodily fluids or even bed linen, Tam said. “This means rapidly stopping chains of transmission.” Tam said the “primary goal” was to ensure that the outbreak does not spread further or become established in Canada. Tam said the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that people who may be at high risk of exposure get vaccinated.īut she said a mass vaccination campaign against the virus is not currently necessary. There were 98 cases in Quebec, nine in Ontario, four in Alberta and one in British Columbia, with other suspected cases being investigated, Dr. Canada's chief public health officer said Friday there were 112 cases of monkeypox across Canada and all of those infected were male.