August 14, 2024
On Aug. 14, 2024, the WHO declared the rising cases of a new clade I mpox strain from the DRC a public health emergency of international concern. Canada has not yet seen Clade I cases and maintains a low risk, but it is closely monitoring the situation and has vaccines available for high-risk groups. Additionally, Canada has been managing an ongoing outbreak of clade II mpox since 2022, with recent cases increasing in Toronto; clade II is considered less severe than clade I.