News

Expert: Monkeypox

Published: 20 May 2022

A growing number of countries, including Canada, the U.S., Spain, Portugal, and the U.K, are reporting an unusual outbreak of monkeypox. What makes these cases notable is the disease is relatively rare and there are no clear links between some of the infections, raising concerns about community spread and undetected cases. (CTV News

Here is an expert from McGill University who can provide comment on this issue:

Dr. Michael Libman, Director of the JD MacLean Centre for Tropical Diseases, Professor, Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) 

“Monkeypox provides a prime example of how expanding human encroachment into animal habitats, that had previously been isolated, leads to transmission of animal infections to humans. The return of high-volume travel and close interactions of large numbers of people has once again allowed for an astonishing rapid propagation around the world.” 

Dr. Michael Libman is the Director of the JD MacLean Centre for Tropical Diseases and a Professor in the Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases). His research focuses on tropical and travel related illness. His primary focus is on the epidemiology of imported infections.   

michael.libman [at] mcgill.ca (English, French) 

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