Toronto seeing 'spike' in mpox cases: officials

**Toronto health officials are warning of a sudden spike in monkeypox cases and are urging eligible residents to get vaccinated to control the outbreak.**

Toronto Public Health had 93 confirmed cases as of July 31, according to a statement released Tuesday. Meanwhile, at the same time last year, the number of cases in the city was 21.

The latest statistics show that 13 new cases were confirmed in Toronto in the last two weeks of July.

According to Toronto Public Health, cases of monkeypox have been reported across the city, but a higher concentration of infections has been seen among downtown residents.

"In response to this sudden increase in reported cases, TPH is working with community partners to increase monkeypox risk awareness, improve access to vaccination and vaccinate eligible residents," Toronto Public Health said in a statement. .”

The news comes ahead of an emergency meeting of the World Health Organization on Wednesday to determine whether the surge in infections in Africa and other parts of the world should be declared a global emergency.

In March, Toronto Public Health confirmed it had seen 21 cases of the virus since January 1, a significant increase from 2023, when 27 infections were reported for the entire year.

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