An Ontario resident with no travel history was recently identified as having gonorrhea that was non-susceptible to ceftriaxone and cefixime, and resistant to ciprofloxacin, penicillin, and tetracycline. The individual is a male who reported sex with the opposite sex and one sexual contact. A multi drug resistant (MDR) strain of Read more…
Situation Since January 2023 there has been an increase in confirmed pertussis (whooping cough) cases being reported in Alberta and more recently, in Manitoba. There is an increased risk of pertussis cases in northwestern Ontario due to our proximity to Manitoba, and frequent travel between the provinces. Pertussis is a Read more…
Issue Shigellosis is an acute infectious diarrheal disease characterized by severe abdominal cramps, tenesmus, fever and malaise, nausea, vomiting, and watery or bloody diarrhea which may contain mucus. It is highly infectious and a common cause of travel-associated diarrhea. Treatment includes rehydration and electrolyte replacement when indicated, and usually does Read more…
Situation COVID-19 made it harder for people to get preventive health care, like vaccines. Because of this, it is estimated that world-wide, 61 million doses of measles vaccine were postponed or missed during the pandemic. Due to the increased number of unimmunized people, cases of measles have been on the Read more…
The infectious syphilis outbreak in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area is ongoing, and rates continue to increase. In 2022 syphilis rates increased by 21%, which is an incidence of 171.3 per 100,000. Prior to 2018 when rates started to spike, the area’s syphilis incidence was 2.9 per 100,000. Most 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 March 2018. In the 4 years since being reportable, an average of 27% of annual cases have been diagnosed in January – Read more…
There has been a higher rate of HIV cases in the Kenora area in 2022, particularly towards the end of the year. Last year alone, nine confirmed cases were reported in the Kenora area which is much higher than in previous years. Between 2013 and 2021 there were only eight Read more…
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…