Saskatoon scientist awarded $500K to study mpox virus

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Saskatoon scientist awarded $500K to study mpox virus

Published

11 months ago

May 29, 2023

Harry Miller

By Halyna Mihalik

Saskatoon virologist Alyson Kelvin, who studies infectious diseases, has been awarded half a million dollars from the Canadian government to research the rapidly growing disease of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.

The same amount was also awarded to one of Kelvin’s colleagues for related studies, for a combined total of $1 million. The government put out a funding call for research to better understand the virus last September, and issued another funding call in December.

“Last year, the increase of mpox cases globally led to a public health emergency of international concern,” said Kelvin.

Kelvin said she and her team of scientists from the University of Manitoba and UCLA will be researching the rapidly growing virus, specifically analyzing the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where mpox is most prominent.

Although Kelvin said she won’t be visiting the African country herself, other members of her team will be working on the ground, and the UCLA has a research base there.

Mpox originated in the DRC in the 1970s, and since the early 2000s the country has seen nearly 2,000 cases of mpox a year.

By examining how people in the area interact with animals that carry the virus, Kelvin said her team will try to limit the crossover of mpox from animals to humans.

“When human cases are reported of mpox, we will then go look at that area for animals that could be infected and figure out if these people had contact with wild animals,” said Kelvin.

More than 1,000 mpox cases were found in the North American beaver in Canada last year, and Kelvin said she will be investigating how animals such as beavers and prairie dogs could be infected by the virus.

Her research will also try to identify if domestic animals, such as dogs, could also contract mpox. If people who have contracted mpox from a wild animal could pass the virus onto their pet, she said it would ultimately lead to more cases.

Kelvin said the Canadian government stepping in to help examine an issue present in Africa is important and necessary.

“What happens in one place will also affect us,” she said. “Problems that occur in other countries are still our problem as well.”

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Health

April 22nd to 30th is Immunization Awareness Week – Oldies 107.7

Published

1 hour ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

<!–April 22nd to 30th is Immunization Awareness Week | Oldies 107.7

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AHS confirms case of measles in Edmonton – CityNews Edmonton

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed a case of measles in Edmonton, and is advising the public that the individual was out in public while infectious.

Measles is an extremely contagious disease that is spread easily through the air, and can only be prevented through immunization.

AHS says individuals who were in the following locations during the specified dates and times, may have been exposed to measles.

April 16
- Edmonton International Airport, international arrivals and baggage claim area — between 3:20 p.m. and 6 p.m.
April 20
- Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department — between 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
April 22
- 66^th Medical Clinic (13635 66 St NW Edmonton) — between 12:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Pharmacy 66 (13637 66 St NW Edmonton) — between 12:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
April 23
- Stollery Children’s Hospital Emergency Department — between 4:40 a.m. to 9:33 a.m.

AHS says anyone who attended those locations during those times is at risk of developing measles if they’ve not had two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine.

Those who have not had two doses, who are pregnant, under one year of age, or have a weakened immune system are at greatest risk of getting measles and should contact Health Link at 1-877-720-0707.

Symptoms

Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3° C or higher, cough, runny nose, and/or red eyes, a red blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down the body and then to the arms and legs.

If you have any of these symptoms stay home and call Health Link.

In Alberta, measles vaccine is offered, free of charge, through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program. Children in Alberta typically receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age, and their second dose at 18 months of age.

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U.S. tightens rules for dairy cows a day after bird flu virus fragments found in pasteurized milk samples – Toronto Star

Published

3 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

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Infected cows were already prohibited from being transported out of state, but that was based on the physical characteristics of the milk, which looks curdled when a cow is infected, or a cow has decreased lactation or low appetite, both symptoms of infection.

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