Vancouver – Experts at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) are already gearing up to monitor flu-like illness for the coming season and they’re looking for more community doctors and nurses to help. Influenza viruses constantly change, and each season the flu shot has to be updated to match the new strains that are most likely to make people sick. Last year, influenza got off to an early start...
Type: Post
In December 2015, the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada (AMMI) published an updated guidance document for the use of antivirals in the management of care facility influenza outbreaks for the 2015-16 season. Given the potential for low vaccine effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine, the AMMI guidance document states that, at the discretion of the local health authority or Medical Health Officer, antiviral prophylaxis may be extended...
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Carbapenemase Producing Organism Surveillance Protocol and Outbreak Management. CPE is an emerging threat to global health which requires a coordinated approach to prevention and control among public health, infection control, clinical and laboratory professionals. Source: https://www.canada.ca/ Updated: May 10, 2024...
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BC Influenza Surveillance Bulletin: Weeks 18-36 (May 3 – Sept 12, 2015) Back-to-School Update: Sporadic Influenza Activity throughout Summer in BC In weeks 18-36 (May 3 to September 12, 2015), community-based surveillance indicators for influenza remained at inter-seasonal levels throughout the province. However, sporadic cases of influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B continued to be detected, driven in part by cases among out-of-province residents associated with cruise ship travel. Also, in...
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[…] provincial MRSA surveillance program was established to monitor the incidence and trend s of the cases of MRSA newly identified among acute care inpatients admitted to healthcare facilities in British Columbia ( BC). This summary updates the cases of MRSA identified during the first fiscal quarter (Q 1, April 1 – June 20 , 2013) of fiscal year ( FY) 201 3/2014 . Direct comparison of...
Type: Media
On November 5th, CTV ran a story about new research showing that ‘serial’ flu shots may lead to reduced immunity. Although the article and video both state that more research is needed, some social media posts (often due to their brevity) implied that the findings were more conclusive. If you receive questions from patients or staff, here is a good article that further explains the findings (and lack of...
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The Ebola epidemic that tore through West Africa in 2014 claimed 11,310 lives, far more than any previous outbreak. A combination of factors contributed to its savagery, among them a mobile population, crumbling public health systems, official neglect, and hazardous burial practices. But new research suggests another impetus: The virus may have evolved a new weapon against its human hosts. In studies published on Thursday in the journal Cell,...
Type: Post