Wastewater monitoring dashboard : Mpox activity

We update this information on Thursdays at 12 pm Eastern Time. In the event of a holiday, we update on the next business day. Data at some sites may lag for a week or more due to the time it takes to transport and analyze samples. This report was last updated with data up to and including the week of .

On this page

• Interpreting wastewater data
• Recent mpox data

Interpreting wastewater data

There are two types (clades) of mpox virus, clade I and clade II. There are multiple tests to detect the presence of mpox virus in wastewater. They include general tests that can detect both mpox clade I and II of the virus, and a test specific to mpox clade I only. The wastewater dashboard gives a summary of consistent general mpox virus signals in wastewater samples from participating cities across Canada. Clade II mpox has been circulating in Canada since 2022. Detections from clade I mpox-specific tests are not currently shown on the wastewater dashboard.

The wastewater signal can change from day to day and can be impacted by other factors, such as temporary visitors travelling into the region. Consistent detections over several weeks are more reliable for indicating potential risk within the community.

For more information:

• Mpox (monkeypox)
• Mpox (monkeypox) epidemiology update

Recent mpox data

For clinical information, refer to:

• Mpox (monkeypox): Update

Notes

• The National Microbiology Laboratory conducts mpox testing for a number of sites across Canada. Data from Halifax (NS), Metro Vancouver (BC), Regina (SK), St. John’s (NL), and Toronto (ON) is included on this dashboard. Site selection and the decision to publish results on the dashboard is always at the discretion of provinces, territories and municipalities.
• Single and isolated detections will not show the broader change in trend over time, so we aggregate detections of mpox in wastewater by EpiWeek. A city has a detected EpiWeek if 2 or more tests are positive during that week.
• The detection of mpox in wastewater is classified as:
  • Consistent detection indicates that the mpox virus was detected in the wastewater for more than 2 weeks in the past 4 weeks.
  • Intermittent detection indicates that the mpox virus was detected for 2 weeks in the past 4 weeks.
  • No detection indicates that the mpox virus was not detected or detected for only 1 week in the past 4 weeks.
  • No recent data indicates that less than 2 weeks of data was gathered to make an assessment about the presence of mpox virus in the wastewater in the past 4 weeks. This is usually due to delays in receiving samples.
• This information is based on sewage samples submitted for testing to the National Microbiology Laboratory. Only 4 weeks of sample testing are used for signal interpretation.
• Mpox is found in wastewater in very low quantities, between 10 and 100 times lower than respiratory viruses. The National Microbiology Laboratory tests for the presence and abundance of mpox virus in wastewater through 2 independent assays.