Courtney Smith, Allison Griffiths, Sandra Allison, D. Hoyano, L. Hoang
Background In April 2021, a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) (STEC) O103 outbreak was identified among patients at two hospitals in Victoria, British Columbia (BC). The objective of this study is to describe this outbreak investigation and identify issues of food safety for high-risk products prepared for vulnerable populations. Methods Confirmed cases of E. coli O103 were reported to the Island Health communicable disease unit. The provincial public health laboratory conducted whole genome sequencing on confirmed case isolates, as per routine practice for STEC in BC. Exposure information was obtained through case interviews and review of hospital menus. Federal and local public health authorities conducted an inspection of the processing plant for the suspect source. Results Six confirmed cases of E. coli O103 were identified, all related by whole genome sequencing. The majority of cases were female (67%) and the median age was 61 years (range 24-87 years). All confirmed cases were inpatients or outpatients at two hospitals and were exposed to raw minced celery within prepared sandwiches provided by hospital food services. A local processor supplied the minced celery exclusively to the two hospitals. Testing of product at the processor was infrequent, and chlorine rinse occurred before mincing. The spread of residual E. coli contamination through the mincing process, in addition to temperature abuse at the hospitals, are thought to have contributed to this outbreak. Conclusion Raw vegetables, such as celery, are a potential source of STEC and present a risk to vulnerable populations. Recommendations from this outbreak include more frequent testing at the processor, a review of the chlorination and mincing process and a review of hospital food services practices to mitigate temperature abuse.
{"title":"Escherichia coli O103 outbreak associated with minced celery among hospitalized individuals in Victoria, British Columbia, 2021.","authors":"Courtney Smith, Allison Griffiths, Sandra Allison, D. Hoyano, L. Hoang","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a07","url":null,"abstract":"Background\u0000In April 2021, a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) (STEC) O103 outbreak was identified among patients at two hospitals in Victoria, British Columbia (BC). The objective of this study is to describe this outbreak investigation and identify issues of food safety for high-risk products prepared for vulnerable populations.\u0000\u0000\u0000Methods\u0000Confirmed cases of E. coli O103 were reported to the Island Health communicable disease unit. The provincial public health laboratory conducted whole genome sequencing on confirmed case isolates, as per routine practice for STEC in BC. Exposure information was obtained through case interviews and review of hospital menus. Federal and local public health authorities conducted an inspection of the processing plant for the suspect source.\u0000\u0000\u0000Results\u0000Six confirmed cases of E. coli O103 were identified, all related by whole genome sequencing. The majority of cases were female (67%) and the median age was 61 years (range 24-87 years). All confirmed cases were inpatients or outpatients at two hospitals and were exposed to raw minced celery within prepared sandwiches provided by hospital food services. A local processor supplied the minced celery exclusively to the two hospitals. Testing of product at the processor was infrequent, and chlorine rinse occurred before mincing. The spread of residual E. coli contamination through the mincing process, in addition to temperature abuse at the hospitals, are thought to have contributed to this outbreak.\u0000\u0000\u0000Conclusion\u0000Raw vegetables, such as celery, are a potential source of STEC and present a risk to vulnerable populations. Recommendations from this outbreak include more frequent testing at the processor, a review of the chlorination and mincing process and a review of hospital food services practices to mitigate temperature abuse.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"25 1","pages":"46-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79664196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cher Ghafari, M. Benusic, N. Prystajecky, H. Sbihi, Kimia Kamelian, L. Hoang
Background The Kappa variant is designated as a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant of interest (VOI). We identified 195 Kappa variant cases in a region of British Columbia, Canada-the largest published cluster in North America. Objectives To describe the epidemiology of the Kappa variant in relation to other circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in the region to determine if the epidemiology of the Kappa variant supports a VOI or VOC status. Methods Clinical specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 collected between March 10 and May 2, 2021, were screened for the detection of known circulating VOCs; approximately 50% of specimens were subsequently selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS). Epidemiological analysis was performed comparing the characteristics of Kappa cases to the main circulating variants in the region (Alpha and Gamma) and to non-VOC/VOI cases. Results A total of 2,079 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were reported in the region during the study period, of which 54% were selected for WGS. The 1,131 sequenced cases were categorized into Kappa, Alpha, Gamma and non-VOC/VOI. While Alpha and Gamma cases were found to have a significantly higher attack rate among household contacts compared to non-VOI/VOC cases, Kappa was not. Conclusion Epidemiological analysis supports the designation of Kappa as a VOI and not a VOC. The Alpha and Gamma variants were found to be more transmissible, explaining their subsequent dominance in the region and the rapid disappearance of the Kappa variant. Variant surveillance strategies should focus on both detection of established VOCs and detection of potential new VOCs.
{"title":"Epidemiological analysis of the emergence and disappearance of the SARS-CoV-2 Kappa variant within a region of British Columbia, Canada.","authors":"Cher Ghafari, M. Benusic, N. Prystajecky, H. Sbihi, Kimia Kamelian, L. Hoang","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a04","url":null,"abstract":"Background\u0000The Kappa variant is designated as a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant of interest (VOI). We identified 195 Kappa variant cases in a region of British Columbia, Canada-the largest published cluster in North America.\u0000\u0000\u0000Objectives\u0000To describe the epidemiology of the Kappa variant in relation to other circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) in the region to determine if the epidemiology of the Kappa variant supports a VOI or VOC status.\u0000\u0000\u0000Methods\u0000Clinical specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 collected between March 10 and May 2, 2021, were screened for the detection of known circulating VOCs; approximately 50% of specimens were subsequently selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS). Epidemiological analysis was performed comparing the characteristics of Kappa cases to the main circulating variants in the region (Alpha and Gamma) and to non-VOC/VOI cases.\u0000\u0000\u0000Results\u0000A total of 2,079 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were reported in the region during the study period, of which 54% were selected for WGS. The 1,131 sequenced cases were categorized into Kappa, Alpha, Gamma and non-VOC/VOI. While Alpha and Gamma cases were found to have a significantly higher attack rate among household contacts compared to non-VOI/VOC cases, Kappa was not.\u0000\u0000\u0000Conclusion\u0000Epidemiological analysis supports the designation of Kappa as a VOI and not a VOC. The Alpha and Gamma variants were found to be more transmissible, explaining their subsequent dominance in the region and the rapid disappearance of the Kappa variant. Variant surveillance strategies should focus on both detection of established VOCs and detection of potential new VOCs.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"2013 1","pages":"22-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86488944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Yukon's experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an interesting one; the territory successfully implemented travel restrictions to limit importing the virus and rolled out vaccines quickly compared to most Canadian jurisdictions. However, the Yukon's first wave of COVID-19 in June and July 2021 overwhelmed the healthcare system due to widespread transmission in unvaccinated children, youth and adults, despite high vaccination uptake overall and mandatory masking. This experience highlights the importance of continued support for public vaccination programs, widespread vaccine uptake in paediatric populations, and the judicious relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions in all Canadian jurisdictions as they reopen while more contagious variants emerge.
{"title":"The Yukon's experience with COVID-19: Travel restrictions, variants and spread among the unvaccinated.","authors":"Sara McPhee-Knowles, Brynn Hoffman, L. Kanary","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a03","url":null,"abstract":"The Yukon's experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an interesting one; the territory successfully implemented travel restrictions to limit importing the virus and rolled out vaccines quickly compared to most Canadian jurisdictions. However, the Yukon's first wave of COVID-19 in June and July 2021 overwhelmed the healthcare system due to widespread transmission in unvaccinated children, youth and adults, despite high vaccination uptake overall and mandatory masking. This experience highlights the importance of continued support for public vaccination programs, widespread vaccine uptake in paediatric populations, and the judicious relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions in all Canadian jurisdictions as they reopen while more contagious variants emerge.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"189 1","pages":"17-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79485664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Virginie Boulanger, E. Poirier, Anne MacLaurin, C. Quach
Background Although Canada has both a national active surveillance system and administrative data for the passive surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), both have identified strengths and weaknesses in their data collection and reporting. Active and passive surveillance work independently, resulting in results that diverge at times. To understand the divergences between administrative health data and active surveillance data, a scoping review was performed. Method Medline, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature along with grey literature were searched for studies in English and French that evaluated the use of administrative data, alone or in comparison with traditional surveillance, in Canada between 1995 and November 2, 2020. After extracting relevant information from selected articles, a descriptive summary of findings was provided with suggestions for the improvement of surveillance systems to optimize the overall data quality. Results Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria, including twelve observational studies and four systematic reviews. Studies showed that using a single source of administrative data was not accurate for HAI surveillance when compared with traditional active surveillance; however, combining different sources of data or combining administrative with active surveillance data improved accuracy. Electronic surveillance systems can also enhance surveillance by improving the ability to detect potential HAIs. Conclusion Although active surveillance of HAIs produced the most accurate results and remains the gold-standard, the integration between active and passive surveillance data can be optimized. Administrative data can be used to enhance traditional active surveillance. Future studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of potential solutions presented for the use of administrative data for HAI surveillance and reporting in Canada.
{"title":"Divergences between healthcare-associated infection administrative data and active surveillance data in Canada.","authors":"Virginie Boulanger, E. Poirier, Anne MacLaurin, C. Quach","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a02","url":null,"abstract":"Background\u0000Although Canada has both a national active surveillance system and administrative data for the passive surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI), both have identified strengths and weaknesses in their data collection and reporting. Active and passive surveillance work independently, resulting in results that diverge at times. To understand the divergences between administrative health data and active surveillance data, a scoping review was performed.\u0000\u0000\u0000Method\u0000Medline, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature along with grey literature were searched for studies in English and French that evaluated the use of administrative data, alone or in comparison with traditional surveillance, in Canada between 1995 and November 2, 2020. After extracting relevant information from selected articles, a descriptive summary of findings was provided with suggestions for the improvement of surveillance systems to optimize the overall data quality.\u0000\u0000\u0000Results\u0000Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria, including twelve observational studies and four systematic reviews. Studies showed that using a single source of administrative data was not accurate for HAI surveillance when compared with traditional active surveillance; however, combining different sources of data or combining administrative with active surveillance data improved accuracy. Electronic surveillance systems can also enhance surveillance by improving the ability to detect potential HAIs.\u0000\u0000\u0000Conclusion\u0000Although active surveillance of HAIs produced the most accurate results and remains the gold-standard, the integration between active and passive surveillance data can be optimized. Administrative data can be used to enhance traditional active surveillance. Future studies are needed to evaluate the feasibility and benefits of potential solutions presented for the use of administrative data for HAI surveillance and reporting in Canada.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"122 3 1","pages":"4-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90253202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network Statement on Point-of-Care Serology Testing in COVID-19.","authors":"Group Respiratory Virus Infections Working","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i01a01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"10 1","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83509758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meghan Laverty, M. Salvadori, S. Squires, M. Ahmed, Lisa Eisenbeis, Santina J Lee, Annick Des Cormiers, Y. A. Li
This article provides a summary of the epidemiology of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases reported nationally in Canada by provincial and territorial health authorities. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a post-viral inflammatory syndrome that temporally follows coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash and other signs of inflammation. In Canada, MIS-C is rare, with 269 cases reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada between March 11, 2020 and October 2, 2021. One hundred forty-two (53%) of these cases were lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases or epidemiologically-linked with COVID-19 cases. Cases have been reported in infants as young as one week to youth as old as 18 years, with a median age of six years. Cases were more likely to occur in males than females (58% vs 42%, respectively; p=0.006). Almost all MIS-C cases (99%) required hospitalization and 36% required intensive care unit admission. No deaths have been reported to date. The time trend of MIS-C aligns with the incidence rate time trend of COVID-19 reported in children, with a two to six-week lag.
{"title":"Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children in Canada.","authors":"Meghan Laverty, M. Salvadori, S. Squires, M. Ahmed, Lisa Eisenbeis, Santina J Lee, Annick Des Cormiers, Y. A. Li","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v47i11a03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v47i11a03","url":null,"abstract":"This article provides a summary of the epidemiology of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases reported nationally in Canada by provincial and territorial health authorities. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a post-viral inflammatory syndrome that temporally follows coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash and other signs of inflammation. In Canada, MIS-C is rare, with 269 cases reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada between March 11, 2020 and October 2, 2021. One hundred forty-two (53%) of these cases were lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases or epidemiologically-linked with COVID-19 cases. Cases have been reported in infants as young as one week to youth as old as 18 years, with a median age of six years. Cases were more likely to occur in males than females (58% vs 42%, respectively; p=0.006). Almost all MIS-C cases (99%) required hospitalization and 36% required intensive care unit admission. No deaths have been reported to date. The time trend of MIS-C aligns with the incidence rate time trend of COVID-19 reported in children, with a two to six-week lag.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"17 1","pages":"461-465"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90016836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.14744/ejmo.2021.00011
L. Atwoli, A. Baqui, T. Benfield, R. Bosurgi, F. Godlee, S. Hancocks, R. Horton, L. Laybourn‐Langton, C. Monteiro, I. Norman, K. Patrick, N. Praities, Marcel G M Olde Rikkert, E. J. Rubin, P. Sahni, Richard Smith, N. Talley, S. Turale, D. Vázquez
No abstract
没有抽象的
{"title":"Call for emergency action to limit global temperature increases, restore biodiversity, and protect health: wealthy nations must do much more, much faster.","authors":"L. Atwoli, A. Baqui, T. Benfield, R. Bosurgi, F. Godlee, S. Hancocks, R. Horton, L. Laybourn‐Langton, C. Monteiro, I. Norman, K. Patrick, N. Praities, Marcel G M Olde Rikkert, E. J. Rubin, P. Sahni, Richard Smith, N. Talley, S. Turale, D. Vázquez","doi":"10.14744/ejmo.2021.00011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14744/ejmo.2021.00011","url":null,"abstract":"No abstract","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"55 1 1","pages":"442-445"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90096175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Ng, E. Rees, Jingcheng Niu, Abdelhamid Zaghlool
The focus of this article is the application of natural language processing (NLP) for information extraction in event-based surveillance (EBS) systems. We describe common information extraction applications from open-source news articles and media sources in EBS systems, methods, value in public health, challenges and emerging developments.
{"title":"Application of natural language processing algorithms for extracting information from news articles in event-based surveillance.","authors":"V. Ng, E. Rees, Jingcheng Niu, Abdelhamid Zaghlool","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v46i06a06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v46i06a06","url":null,"abstract":"The focus of this article is the application of natural language processing (NLP) for information extraction in event-based surveillance (EBS) systems. We describe common information extraction applications from open-source news articles and media sources in EBS systems, methods, value in public health, challenges and emerging developments.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"422 1","pages":"186-191"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77131495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Begert, Justin Granek, Brian Irwin, Chris Brogly
Evidence-informed decision making is based on the premise that the entirety of information on a topic is collected and analyzed. Systematic reviews allow for data from different studies to be rigorously assessed according to PICO principles (population, intervention, control, outcomes). However, conducting a systematic review is generally a slow process that is a significant drain on resources. The fundamental problem is that the current approach to creating a systematic review cannot scale to meet the challenges resulting from the massive body of unstructured evidence. For this reason, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been examining the automation of different stages of evidence synthesis to increase efficiencies. In this article, we present an overview of an initial version of a novel machine learning-based system that is powered by recent advances in natural language processing (NLP), such as BioBERT, with further optimizations completed using a new immunization-specific document database. The resulting optimized NLP model at the core of this system is able to identify and extract PICO-related fields from publications on immunization with an average accuracy of 88% across five classes of text. Functionality is provided through a straightforward web interface.
{"title":"Towards automating systematic reviews on immunization using an advanced natural language processing-based extraction system.","authors":"David Begert, Justin Granek, Brian Irwin, Chris Brogly","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v46i06a04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v46i06a04","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Evidence-informed decision making is based on the premise that the entirety of information on a topic is collected and analyzed. Systematic reviews allow for data from different studies to be rigorously assessed according to PICO principles (population, intervention, control, outcomes). However, conducting a systematic review is generally a slow process that is a significant drain on resources. The fundamental problem is that the current approach to creating a systematic review cannot scale to meet the challenges resulting from the massive body of unstructured evidence. For this reason, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been examining the automation of different stages of evidence synthesis to increase efficiencies. In this article, we present an overview of an initial version of a novel machine learning-based system that is powered by recent advances in natural language processing (NLP), such as BioBERT, with further optimizations completed using a new immunization-specific document database. The resulting optimized NLP model at the core of this system is able to identify and extract PICO-related fields from publications on immunization with an average accuracy of 88% across five classes of text. Functionality is provided through a straightforward web interface.</p>","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"46 6","pages":"174-179"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11182649/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141422383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Tarasuk, Jingxuan Zhang, A. LeMyre, F. Cholette, M. Bryson, D. Paquette
Background The Tracks survey of people who inject drugs (PWID) collected data in 14 sentinel sites across Canada (2017-2019). Objective To describe the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C and associated risk behaviours and to examine trends over time. Methods Information regarding socio-demographics, social determinants of health, use of prevention services and testing, drug use, risk behaviours, and HIV and hepatitis C testing, care and treatment was collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires. Biological samples were tested for HIV, hepatitis C antibodies and hepatitis C ribonucleic acid (RNA). Descriptive statistics were calculated and trends over time were assessed. Results Of the 2,383 participants, 65.6% were cisgender male, 42.2% were Indigenous, 48.0% completed some high school or less, 62.6% lived in unstable housing and 75.7% had ever been incarcerated. Average age was 40.1 years. The majority experienced stigma and discrimination (88.7%) and physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse in childhood (85.0%) or with a sexual partner (75.9%). The majority reported use of a needle/syringe distribution program (90.1%) and tested for HIV (90.5%) and hepatitis C (90.9%).Among participants who had ever had sex, the majority (59.2%) reported inconsistent condom use during vaginal and/or anal sex with a casual sex partner. Prevalence of HIV was 10.3% (82.9% were aware of infection status) and many (36.9%) were hepatitis C RNA-positive (50.1% were aware of infection status).Most surveillance indicators remained relatively stable from Phase 1 to Phase 4. Changes were found in substances used, and improvements were noted related to HIV and hepatitis C prevalence and care cascade indicators. Conclusion Many PWID in Canada were living in unstable housing and experienced high levels of stigma and discrimination. Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C was high in some areas. These findings contribute to the evidence base used to inform targeted prevention and control measures.
{"title":"National findings from the Tracks survey of people who inject drugs in Canada, Phase 4, 2017-2019.","authors":"J. Tarasuk, Jingxuan Zhang, A. LeMyre, F. Cholette, M. Bryson, D. Paquette","doi":"10.14745/ccdr.v46i05a07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v46i05a07","url":null,"abstract":"Background\u0000The Tracks survey of people who inject drugs (PWID) collected data in 14 sentinel sites across Canada (2017-2019).\u0000\u0000\u0000Objective\u0000To describe the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C and associated risk behaviours and to examine trends over time.\u0000\u0000\u0000Methods\u0000Information regarding socio-demographics, social determinants of health, use of prevention services and testing, drug use, risk behaviours, and HIV and hepatitis C testing, care and treatment was collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires. Biological samples were tested for HIV, hepatitis C antibodies and hepatitis C ribonucleic acid (RNA). Descriptive statistics were calculated and trends over time were assessed.\u0000\u0000\u0000Results\u0000Of the 2,383 participants, 65.6% were cisgender male, 42.2% were Indigenous, 48.0% completed some high school or less, 62.6% lived in unstable housing and 75.7% had ever been incarcerated. Average age was 40.1 years. The majority experienced stigma and discrimination (88.7%) and physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse in childhood (85.0%) or with a sexual partner (75.9%). The majority reported use of a needle/syringe distribution program (90.1%) and tested for HIV (90.5%) and hepatitis C (90.9%).Among participants who had ever had sex, the majority (59.2%) reported inconsistent condom use during vaginal and/or anal sex with a casual sex partner. Prevalence of HIV was 10.3% (82.9% were aware of infection status) and many (36.9%) were hepatitis C RNA-positive (50.1% were aware of infection status).Most surveillance indicators remained relatively stable from Phase 1 to Phase 4. Changes were found in substances used, and improvements were noted related to HIV and hepatitis C prevalence and care cascade indicators.\u0000\u0000\u0000Conclusion\u0000Many PWID in Canada were living in unstable housing and experienced high levels of stigma and discrimination. Prevalence of HIV and hepatitis C was high in some areas. These findings contribute to the evidence base used to inform targeted prevention and control measures.","PeriodicalId":94304,"journal":{"name":"Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada","volume":"15 1","pages":"138-148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82914615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}