The Canadian province of Quebec had 15 confirmed cases of monkeypox as of Monday, with more cases expected from other parts of the country, the health department of Quebec said.
Nearly 20 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported recent outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 230 confirmed or suspected cases, mostly in Europe.
Canada’s Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said more samples from other parts of the country have been sent to laboratories for testing.
It was not yet clear what symptoms the patients had, nor the severity of their condition.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox, although milder, first recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1970s. The number of cases in West Africa has increased in the past decade.
Canada confirmed its first two cases of monkeypox last week after authorities in Quebec said they were examining 17 suspected cases.