Health
Health Officials in London Ontario Warn Over Legionnaires Disease Outbreak
Public health officials in London Ontario are investigating a legionnaires disease epidemic which has resulted in 17 confirmed cases of the rare respiratory illness and three hospitalizations.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit said it was first notified of a cluster of pneumonia-like infections on July 24. However, after a two-day inquiry, the public health office reported an epidemic of legionella, the bacteria that causes legionnaires’ disease.
Joanne Kearon, Middlesex-London’s associate medical officer of health, said officials are monitoring a five to ten-kilometer radius in southeast London to determine where and how the bacterium spread.
“Legionella is quite a common bacteria that’s found in the environment, and so we expect there to be cases randomly throughout the year, very often more in the summer, as things are warmer,” she told me. “However…it is higher than normal, and that’s why we need to investigate whether all of these are linked to one another, and how many of them are related to a single common source.”
“Given the number and how close they are geographically, it would indicate that there is a common source with legionella.”
Legionnaires disease is a serious respiratory ailment that can result in fever, chills, and a dry cough.
Legionnaires disease not contagious in person-to-person
Legionella bacteria, while not considered contagious in person-to-person transmission, can be found in warm water sources such as air conditioners, hot water tanks and heaters, and plumbing systems.
Infection can spread when bacteria become aerosolised by fans or wind and are inhaled by individuals. It is not possible to distribute it directly between infected people.
The majority of persons exposed to legionella do not become sick or exhibit symptoms, but the elderly and immunocompromized are more vulnerable, according to Kearon. Even among those who develop symptoms, there is a milder form of illness known as Pontiac fever, which causes people to feel ill but recover on their own.
Because the bacteria is widespread in the summer, the health unit is also investigating recent heat and humidity, as well as excessive rainfall, as possible contributing reasons, but a common source remains the leading idea, according to Kearson.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit states that there is no “broad risk to the public,” and Kearon confirms that the bacteria is not present in London’s drinking water system.
Trying to pinpoint the source
The situation is still ongoing, with instances being detected and even reclassified from before the outbreak was declared, while others have been cleared, she said. However, Kearon stated to Ifpress that no behavioural or activity adjustments are required.
“It’s just a reminder that if you’re feeling unwell, get seen, but there’s nothing for anyone to necessarily change their behaviour or do differently in response to what is going on,” she told me.
The health unit is collaborating with Public Health Ontario, an arm’s-length provincial body that conducts lab testing and provides scientific and technical assistance to public health units, to design a sample plan to try to pinpoint the source of the bacteria, Kearon explained.
Public Health Ontario confirmed its involvement with the Middlesex-London Health Unit, but referred questions regarding the inquiry to local officials.
Finding the source can help determine whether exposures continue, according to Kearon. In the meanwhile, anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their doctor.
“We have communicated with health-care providers to keep legionella on their differential of possible diagnoses and to test for it appropriately,” according to her.
Legionnaires’ disease has occasionally flared up in London, despite its rarity. In 2019, an air-conditioning cooling tower was identified as the source of a sickness outbreak in a south-central London community that hospitalised six individuals.
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Canada Records its First Case on Monkeypox
Canada’s Department of Public Health confirmed on Friday that the country’s first mpox (monkeypox) incidence occurred in Manitoba.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, this travel-related case is tied to a continuing mpox outbreak in central and eastern Africa.
“The individual sought medical care in Canada for mpox symptoms shortly after their return and is currently isolating,” the agency stated.
The Public Health Agency of Canada works closely with Manitoba’s public health authorities. The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) informed the province on November 22 that the sample tested positive for mpox (monkeypox),” the agency stated.
The World Health Organization stated earlier in the day that the mpox outbreak remains a public health emergency.
In August, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following the spread of a new version of the virus, known as Mpox clade Ib, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring nations.
MPox is a viral illness that spreads by close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled sores. It is typically moderate, but it can be fatal.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said that while the danger to Canada’s general population is low, it constantly monitors the situation. It further stated that a public health investigation, including contact tracing, is underway.
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Health
A Canadian Teenager’s Bird Flu Virus Has Mutations
(VOR News) – Health experts have warned that the Bird Flu virus identified in Vancouver has undergone alterations that may increase its transmissibility to humans, a circumstance that Canadian officials believe could occur.
“No additional cases have been identified” after monitoring many potential contacts among the adolescent’s friends, family, and healthcare providers; however, there is no indication that the single Canadian teen is the only one infected with this specific mutant H5N1. Brenda Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer,
Bird Flu
Dr. Jesse Bloom of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle told CNN that this is “undoubtedly one of the initial instances where we have observed evidence of such adaptive mutations in H5”.
Bloom observed that the teen’s symptoms began one week before hospitalization, giving the Bird Flu extra time to strengthen its capacity to infiltrate the desired cells.
Significantly, the calf is in critical but stable condition, having contracted a different strain of the virus than the one that affects dairy calves in the United States. An H5N1 strain is circulating throughout Pacific Northwest wild bird populations.
Because there was no documented link with wild birds, Canadian officials are still unsure how the adolescent contracted the illness.
The three discovered alterations in the Canadian example are determined to be at specific regions on the genome, which would improve binding to human cells.
“Numerous influenza virologists, myself included, have observed it due of certain sequences exhibiting indications of mutations that concern us,” he said.
Following a toddler in Alameda County who was exhibiting minor upper respiratory symptoms, California determined the child may have Bird Flu. According to a news release from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the young person is recovering at home following treatment.
Although the patient has had no recorded interaction with an affected animal, the CDPH reports that health officials are investigating possible exposure to wild birds. In addition, they reported, “the positive test indicated a low-level detection of the virus, suggesting the child was unlikely to be infectious to others.”
Four days later, the youngster’s next bird flu test returned negative; further research found that the child tested positive for respiratory infections, which could be causing their Bird Flu and cold symptoms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will collect test specimens for the next investigation.
California officials emphasized that, despite the reported occurrence, the public health risk remained extremely low.
“We aim to reassure parents, caregivers, and families that, according to our information and data, we do not believe the child was infectious, and no human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been recorded in any country for over 15 years,” stated Dr. Tomás Aragón, head of the CDPH. “It is normal for people to show concern.”
According to the CDC, 53 Americans had confirmed instances of avian flu, with all but one being exposed to contaminated poultry or dairy cows.
In the California example, all of the child’s relatives tested negative, and there is no evidence that the virus moved from person to person.
Dairy cows
The virus first appeared in a pig last month. Seven states have already verified cases of avian influenza, with Oregon reporting the first human case last week. Most incidents have occurred among farmworkers.
California has the state’s largest confirmed human avian influenza infection count, with 27 cases reported (excluding the infant from Alameda County). According to CDC records, there are 11 cases in Washington and 10 in Colorado.
Recent developments have heightened public health experts’ concerns about the prospect of the avian flu virus spreading from person to person.
Since March, the disease has spread to approximately 600 dairy farms in 15 states nationwide. Bird flu has been frequent among domestic and wild birds in the United States for several years.
Dr. James Lawler, co-director of the University of Nebraska’s Global Center for Health Security, recently told the New York Times that “we should be very concerned at this juncture.” “We ought to allocate considerable resources to ascertain the situation, but at this time there is no need for alarm.”
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Pancreatic Cancer Among Young People Is No Longer Alarming.
(VOR News) – Experts have voiced apprehension regarding the increasing incidence of pancreatic cancer among youth; nevertheless, a recent study reveals that this surge in diagnoses has not been paralleled by a commensurate increase in mortality rates attributed to the disease.
What is the reason? Researchers assert that contemporary, more sensitive imaging scans may identify early, non-fatal occurrences of pancreatic cancer in individuals under 40 that were previously undiscovered.
Researchers have noted growing concerns from several registries regarding the rising prevalence of pancreatic cancer among young individuals, especially women, in the United States and worldwide. “While some ascribe this trend to rising obesity rates, others have identified no discernible cause.”
Analyzing the data
The statistics on pancreatic cancer conflate endocrine malignancies and adenocarcinomas, which are two entirely different tumor forms occurring in the same organ.
The first form generally requires years to develop and increase, whereas the second type is characteristically aggressive and spreads rapidly.
The rising prevalence of pancreatic cancer among younger Americans is mostly attributed to an enhanced diagnosis of smaller, early-stage endocrine tumors rather than an escalation in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cases, the researchers noted.
The declining mortality rate of pancreatic cancer, juxtaposed with the rising incidence of new cases, implies that the recent surge in early-onset pancreatic cancer indicates the identification of previously undiagnosed disease rather than an actual rise in cancer prevalence.
Researchers, under the leadership of Dr. Vishal Patel, a surgical resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, acknowledged the increasing incidence of pancreatic cancer among young individuals. Their research, published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, contains the following information:
Pancreatic cancer operations
Restricting the increase of tumors in their first stages is a significant point to consider. This data indicates a phenomenon termed overdiagnosis, characterized by a rise in mortality that does not correspond with the increase in case numbers.
More dangerous adenocarcinomas are occasionally identified at an earlier stage during abdomen scans conducted for unrelated reasons. Conversely, the study’s authors assert that the prevalence of adenocarcinomas among young individuals has remained constant across all stages of the disease.
Meanwhile, the researchers indicated that CT scans and MRIs, which are increasingly sensitive and utilized for a broader range of applications than before, can identify less malignant endocrine tumors in the pancreas.
Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a senior researcher at the Center for Surgery and Public Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, stated to the New York Times, which published the findings, “The more you are imaged, the more these issues will arise.”
Upon discovery of any issue, both individuals and medical professionals may feel compelled to act.
Dr. Folasade May, a gastroenterologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, stated in an interview with the Times, “Occasionally, we observe anomalies on imaging that necessitate further investigation.” “Ultimately, they may necessitate significant surgical intervention.”
Patients needing surgery
As indicated by the doubling of pancreatic cancer surgical interventions among patients aged 25-34, there has been a substantial increase in surgical interventions for pancreatic cancer among young patients as well.
Dr. Adewole Adamson, a specialist in overdiagnosis at the University of Texas at Austin and a co-author of the paper, stated, “Many patients express a desire for removal.” “Upon receiving a cancer diagnosis, one feels compelled to take action.”
Patients and clinicians should be aware of the following considerations in the future.
The research team states, “Pancreatic cancer may now be subject to overdiagnosis, referring to the identification of disease that is unlikely to result in symptoms or mortality.” “Overdiagnosis is particularly alarming in the context of pancreatic cancer, given that pancreatic surgery carries significant risks of morbidity and mortality.”
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