Influenza A has been lab-confirmed in Sioux Lookout, Atikokan, and Kenora over the weekend. Actions Northwestern Health Unit is putting out communication to the public and through schools and child care centres to inform the public about the risk. Contact:Donna StanleyManager Infectious DiseasesNorthwestern Health Unit807-223-3301dstanley@nwhu.on.ca
Please be reminded that mumps is not endemic in our area which means any initial new case would need to have been in contact with a person infected with mumps from outside of our catchment area (Kenora and Rainy River Districts). One confirmed case would be considered an outbreak. There Read more…
Situation Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) has been informed of provincially increasing percent positivity for EV-D68 of samples sent for enterovirus testing. The CDC has also indicated an increase of pediatric hospitalizations in patients with severe respiratory illness who tested positive for rhinovirus and/or enterovirus in August 2022. EV-D68 has been Read more…
Please be reminded of the possibility of Blastomycosis infection in the region. Blastomycosis has been a reportable disease under the Health Protection and Promotion Act in Ontario since 2018. Northwestern Health Unit’s catchment area has had annual rates ranging from 15-43 cases per 100,000 between 2018 and 2021, while the Read more…
Dear Colleagues, Please find attached the following materials on Monkeypox: Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Order under section 77.6 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act CMOH memo Infection Prevention and Contro Recommendations for Monkeypox in Health Care Settings Please disseminate these to your local healthcare providers including physicians, Read more…
Dear health care partners, The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Northwestern Health Unit’s services. Our priority is the pandemic response, which includes case and contact management, COVID-19 vaccinations, and infection prevention and control support. Nearly all NWHU staff have been redeployed to assist with the pandemic response and unfortunately have Read more…
An increase in HIV cases has been identified in the Dryden area in the last two weeks of August. So far, the primary noted risk factors are injection drug use, sharing of needles/drug preparation equipment, recent incarceration, heterosexual sex, and men who have sex with men. Please consider Testing for Read more…
The infectious syphilis outbreak in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area is ongoing. The majority of cases continue to be in Kenora but other cases have been identified in other communities including Sioux Lookout Please consider Testing for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections for those who are at risk. Read more…
Epidemiology Since May there have been reports of cases diagnosed with disseminated gonorrhea including sepsis and joint involvement in the Kenora and Sioux Lookout area. Overall gonorrhea (all cases) rates for the Kenora area have not increased but it is noted that gonorrhea rates did increase in the Dryden area Read more…
