Ottawa, Aug 13 (IANS): The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed 1,059 cases of monkeypox in the country.

The health agency on Friday said that of the confirmed cases, 511 cases are from Ontario, 426 from Quebec, 98 from British Columbia, 19 from Alberta, three from Saskatchewan and two from the Yukon.

The government remains agile in its ongoing evidence-based response to cases of monkeypox in Canada, the PHAC said, adding that it is working closely with provincial and territorial public health partners to ensure coordination of nationwide strategic response.

The agency has deployed more than 80,000 doses of Imvamune vaccine to provinces and territories and is supporting decentralised testing by providing control material and protocols to lab partners around the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Experts say monkeypox is a viral disease that can spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person, including through hugs, kisses, massages or sexual intercourse.