Health IQ: Mpox in Canada. What to know

What is Canada’s mpox risk?

Health experts are raising the alarm as a new strain of mpox makes its way across several African countries. There’s also concern that this more severe strain, known as Clade I, could eventually find its way to Canada.

This strain has already been detected in Sweden, marking its first appearance outside of Africa, and experts believe it’s just a matter of time before it spreads further.

However, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said the risk of Clade I mpox coming to Canadians “remains low at this time.”

As the number of mpox cases escalates in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Aug. 14 declared the virus a global public health emergency.

The declaration comes more than two years after the WHO first declared a global mpox emergency in 2022, which subsequently subsided in many regions. However, the virus has surged dramatically since January 2024, particularly in Africa, prompting health officials to describe the outbreak as “unprecedented.”

Mpox cases are on the rise in Canada, particularly in Toronto. However, health officials note that this increase is due to Clade II, a strain that has been present in Canada since 2022 and is less severe than the Clade I strain currently circulating in Africa.

Because of the uptick, Toronto Public Health is urging eligible residents to get vaccinated against mpox. On Aug. 13, the local health unit said as of July 31 there have been a total of 93 confirmed cases of the virus compared with 21 cases for the same period in 2023.

Read more about mpox cases in Canada and how to stay safe.

Silk products returning after listeria recall

Silk plant-based milks, which were recalled due to a listeria outbreak that has caused three deaths in Canada, are gradually returning to store shelves.

A specific production line at a factory in Pickering, Ont., that the contamination was traced to was shut down last month and remains closed as authorities inspect it, but other facilities are increasing production, Danone Canada, the manufacturer of Silk beverages, told Global News on Thursday.

“We have progressively ramped up production of our Silk refrigerated products in other facilities and products impacted by the recall are gradually coming back to shelves,” said Jennifer Vincent, a spokesperson for Danone Canada, adding that the company has also ramped up testing.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively increased the frequency and number of tests in all Silk refrigerated products production and warehousing facilities.”

The return of the Silk products comes days after it was announced a third person in Ontario has died due to the listeria outbreak connected to Great Value and Silk plant-based milks,

The recall, issued on July 8, affected various types of almond, coconut, oat and cashew milk under the Silk and Walmart’s Great Value brands.

So far, 20 people across four provinces have been sickened, with 15 hospitalized and three deaths reported. Two class-action lawsuits have been filed against Danone and Walmart Canada over the outbreak.

Read more of Saba Aziz’s coverage of the listeria outbreak here.

— THE TOPIC —

A nasal spray for allergies?

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

Have allergies but dislike needles? Canadians may soon be able to swap their EpiPen for a nasal spray as early as next year.

Neffy, made by drugmaker ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc., is the first epinephrine nasal spray to be approved in the United States to treat life-threatening allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the device on Aug. 9 for the emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions, including those that are life-threatening, in adults and older children.

Health Canada told Global News on Aug. 12 that it has not yet received a submission for Neffy, but the company says is it planning to file later this year.

“ARS anticipates filing for approval from Heath Canada by Q4 2024,” Richard Lowenthal, CEO of ARS Pharmaceuticals, said in an emailed response to Global News. “It may take Health Canada up to 10 months to approve but hopefully sooner, so likely availability in Canada is late 2025.”

Jennifer Lake, a pharmacist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, said allergy sufferers who have anaphylaxis have only been able to inject epinephrine in the past.

“This really starts to broaden how people can treat their allergies,” she said. “We’ll probably see not only people switching from injections to the nasal, but people who haven’t ever bought injections for their allergies getting the nasal for the first time, which is really what, as health-care professionals, we want to see is people being able to protect themselves.”