Public Health Ontario reports 1st confirmed female case of monkeypox

Public Health Ontario says the first case of monkeypox in a female has been recorded.

The agency said there are 156 confirmed cases of the virus in the province as of July 11, with all but one of them being male.

The average age of the confirmed cases, which are mostly reported in Toronto, is 37.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health recently said monkeypox will likely be around for “many months” because of its lengthy incubation period. But he also mentioned that Ontario isn’t seeing rapid growth of the disease.

Public health officials said most cases are among men who report intimate contact with men. However, they said anyone can get monkeypox.

The virus generally doesn’t spread easily and is transmitted through prolonged close contact via respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or through contaminated clothes or bedding.