Infection Control News: April 1-5, 2019
Unvaccinated: Pockets of Canada vulnerable to serious outbreaks of disease. News.
Some Kelowna properties have been put under a boil water advisory due to increased water turbidity in Mill Creek, B.C. News.
A recall has been added to the CFIA’s Food Recall Report. Reason for Recall: Listeria. Product: Oreinos Mylopotamos brand Cretan Dry Mizythra. Recalling Firm: MFG Distribution Inc. Distribution: Ontario, Quebec. CFIA Listing.
A recall has been added to the CFIA’s Food Recall Report. Reason for Recall: Salmonella. Product: Lee’s Tea brand Teas. Recalling Firm: Lee’s Provisions Inc. Distribution : National. CFIA Listing.
A prospective, observational study found that 39% of HCW caring for patients on contact precautions for MDROs made multiple errors when doffing personal protective equipment, and had increased rates of self-contamination. Study.
Measles in BC and elsewhere:
Third measles case confirmed on Southern Vancouver Island. News.
Health officials have confirmed a 22nd case of the measles in British Columbia. News.
Potential measles exposure on Skytrain and bus, March 27 News.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a public alert to potential measles exposure, marking the second lab-confirmed case in Calgary this month. News.
Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, will advise the board of health to ask Health Canada and the WHO to find ways to combat what’s known as “vaccine hesitancy”. News.
PH Toronto is investigating a lab-confirmed case of measles in an adult who acquired the disease in another country. Public may have been exposed at the Vaughan Mills shopping mall in Vaughan, Ont. on March 20. News.
USA. The number of U.S. measles cases through the first three months of this year have surpassed the count for all of 2018. There have been 387 cases through March and 372 last year. News.
Measles: How a preventable disease returned from the past. News.
The vast majority (90%) of Canadians believe that vaccinations should be mandatory for school-aged children, according to a new poll. News.
Ebola & MERS-CoV:
DRC confirmed 1,092 cases of Ebola, with 81 occurring in HCW, 28 HCW have died. The overall case-fatality rate for the outbreak stands at 62%. Communique.
An ongoing surge of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw another rise with 15 new cases. News.
A new Ebola species first identified in bats last year in Sierra Leone—named Bombali virus— has now been found in Kenya. So far there’s no evidence that it can be transmitted to people. Ahead of Print ‘Dispatch’ Study.
Saudi Arabia today reported two more MERS-CoV cases. Report.
According to a study, a high percentage of trainees and program leaders, 54% & 26%, respectively, reported that they showed up to work with influenza-like illness despite knowing the risk to others. Study.
A study highlights the importance of the intraoperative discipline of staff, suggesting that a restriction of staff movements and door openings may prevent airborne contamination and the associated SSI risk. Study.
Tuberculosis case reported in Victoria. News.
Lassa fever outbreak reaches 500-case in Nigeria. The outbreak began on Jan 1, and so far 119 people have died, resulting in a case-fatality rate of 22.9%. The majority of sicknesses occurring in Edo and Ondo states. News.
A study revealed that Influenza activity was associated with an increase in heart failure (HF) hospitalizations across 4 influenza seasons. Study.
According to a recent study funded by NASA; Latent herpes virus reactivation has been documented in more than 50% of astronauts during space shuttle & International Space Station missions. The cause? Stress. Study.
Some infection control resources and tools:
Infection Prevention is not a game. Click on the link below to watch a pretty cool video (an award-winning one), where Diego takes simple steps to protect himself and his grandmother from harmful infections. Watch the video today and share! Video.
A free online accredited CPD program for healthcare professionals is available online until 5/12/19. It covers the clinical impact of Herpes Zoster, the importance of being vaccinated & many more. Education session.
A free online accredited CPD program for healthcare professionals is available online until 08/29/19. It is about influenza in older adults & ensuring optimal protection. Education session.
This is a great tool to have for point-of-care health care providers. It provides quick information on vaccine-preventable diseases which are uncommon or rarely seen, but can still occur in children and youth from Canada and elsewhere. Resource.