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Why some kids on P.E.I. are battling summertime colds and flu – CBC.ca

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If you’ve noticed your kids are getting sick more often lately, you’re likely not the only one. 

P.E.I.’s College of Family Physicians says doctors have been seeing a high number of children with non-COVID-19 respiratory illnesses recently.

Dr. Heather Austin, president of the college, said there are a number of factors that could be contributing to the increase, including the fact that throughout the pandemic children have had little exposure to these respiratory viruses. 

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“We are seeing a lot of upper respiratory illnesses within our population at this point in time,” she said.

She said the lifting of mandates and public health restrictions also plays a role.

“Mostly it is moving away from the mandatory masking regulations and having us be in close proximity and able to spread all of the different viruses and pathogens that are in our environment to each other again.” 

Dr. Heather Austin says typically a virus could involve mild symptoms over three to five days, like a low-grade fever, congestion, cough, sore throat and a runny nose. In some cases coughing could last up to three weeks. (Zoom )

Austin said many older people have built up an immunity to many of these viruses, but when it comes to children some are likely being exposed to certain viruses for the first, second or third time. 

“They don’t have that same built-up immunity so they’re more likely to develop an infection from an exposure,” she said. 

Austin also said it may seem like children are catching colds or illnesses that simply won’t go away. But it’s more likely that the child is actually being infected with a number of different viruses, one after the other. 

According to the province’s latest flu data, there have been 50 lab-confirmed cases of the flu for the 2021-2022 season. The median age of those cases is about 12 years old. 

Emergency room saw spike in illness too

The spike in respiratory illnesses is something emergency room physician, Dr. Trevor Jain has noticed as well. 

“For the last six weeks we’ve seen an uptick in respiratory illnesses in the pediatric population and that mostly has to do with mandates changing,” Jain said. 

He said it is unusual to see increased respiratory illness at this time of year. Typically infections of flu and other viruses spike fall, winter or early spring among children, Jain said. 

“We’re talking anything from the common cold to RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], to croup, increased asthma due to viral infections, even some pneumonia,” he said.

“That was a little unexpected but when you think about it, you know we have increased mixing of the population, dropping of mandates so it just goes to show that those public health measures pre-vaccination were very effective at limiting the spread of respiratory illnesses.” 

Man in shirt and blazer looking into camera.
Emergency room physician, Dr. Trevor Jain says doctors at the hospital have seen an increase in patients with everything from the common cold to pneumonia over the last 6 weeks. (Skype)

Jain said the emergency room is now starting to see the number of admissions for respiratory illnesses go down. 

Dr. Austin said typically a virus could involve mild symptoms over three to five days, like a low-grade fever, congestion, cough, sore throat and a runny nose. Coughing can sometimes last for up to three weeks in some cases and just as the child is recovering, they pick up another virus. 

“The times when you’d want to seek medical attention would be a persistent fever, certainly a fever beyond five days,” Austin said. 

“If they’re very lethargic, sleepy, not themselves, not eating and drinking in the usual way.”

She said if a child is in pain or struggling to breath they should also get medical attention.

To limit the spread of respiratory illness, Austin said people should make sure they are washing their hands regularly and to stay home if they feel unwell.

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New technology to advance women’s cancer care at Southlake

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NEWS RELEASE
SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
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This Cancer Awareness Month, Southlake is adding advanced technologies to detect and treat breast cancer and other women’s cancers thanks to generous community donor support, most recently through the HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign. New cancer care technology, including new mammography machines, the MyoSure System and the MOLLI 2® System will make a measurable impact in diagnosing and treating women’s cancers in the communities Southlake serves.

Southlake is installing three new mammography machines to expand its breast cancer screening program to 1,500 more women each year. Two of these machines have new biopsy capabilities that will reduce the number of cancelled exams due to equipment failure, ensuring timely care for women. Women ages 40 to 49 years old will be able to self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program starting this fall.

“Early detection is critical when treating breast cancer and other women’s cancers,” said Lorrie Reynolds, Director, Regional Cancer Program at Southlake. “We treat more than 1,700 breast cancer patients at Southlake every year. By adding advanced technology, like the new mammography machines, we’re ensuring women have the best experience at Southlake.”

Southlake is also introducing the MyoSure System, an innovative technology that can help detect female reproductive cancers. Damaged tissue in a woman’s uterus such as fibroids and polyps can now be removed in a precise, minimally invasive procedure that leaves the rest of the uterus intact. This will improve the overall patient experience by supporting faster recovery, reducing the risk of infection and giving more women the option to have children. An estimated 200 women per year will benefit from the MyoSure System.

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The new mammography machines and the MyoSure System build on Southlake’s recent investment in the MOLLI 2® System, a made-in-Canada wire-free breast localization technology.  This technology is considerably less invasive and more accurate when compared to wire-guided localization, resulting in a better patient experience and improved cosmetic outcomes.  More than 200 women each year will benefit from this innovative medical device as they are treated for breast cancer at Southlake.

“As a clinician caring for women with cancer in our community, I’m incredibly proud of the work Southlake is doing to advance women’s health and improve patient experiences,” said Sara Temple, MD, Surgical Oncologist and Chief of Surgery at Southlake. “Women who visit Southlake can be confident that they are receiving leading edge care, close to home when they need it most.”

The World Health Organization anticipates a 77 per cent increase in cancer diagnoses by 2050.  Southlake serves some of the fastest growing communities in Canada and anticipates that the number of patients requiring cancer care will grow. By investing in new technology, Southlake is ensuring that women in the communities it serves have access to leading edge cancer care. All of these investments were funded with support from community donors who generously gave to Southlake to support investments into women’s health at the hospital.

“The generosity of our donor community and the impact they have made for women receiving cancer diagnosis and treatment at Southlake is something we can all take great pride in,” said Jennifer Ritter, President and CEO of Southlake Foundation. “From our Women’s Health Initiative donors supporting new mammography machines, to the Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake funding the MOLLI 2 System, to our long-standing partners The Edge Benefits and Pheasant Run Golf Club enabling the introduction of MyoSure System through their joint annual charity golf tournament, we are incredibly lucky to share a vision of access to exceptional care for everyone who depends on Southlake when they need us most. Thank you, to every donor who contributed to these important upgrades to care for women.”

Southlake Foundation’s HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign supports the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. For more information or to make a donation, visit: southlake.ca/HERE.

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Pasteurized milk includes remnants of H5N1 bird flu, U.S. officials say

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department (USDA) says 33 herds have been affected to date.

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FDA officials didn’t indicate how many samples they tested or where they were obtained. The agency has been evaluating milk during processing and from grocery stores, officials said. Results of additional tests are expected in “the next few days to weeks.”

WATCH | Bird flu spread in U.S. cows:

 

Bird flu is spreading in cows. Are humans at risk? | About That

15 days ago

Duration 8:54

For the first time ever, avian influenza, or H5N1 bird flu, was detected in roughly a dozen dairy cow herds across the U.S. About That producer Lauren Bird explores why scientists and public health officials are concerned about the cross-species transmission and whether humans are now at higher risk.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test the FDA used would have detected viral genetic material even after live virus was killed by pasteurization, or heat treatment, said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University

“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus, and the FDA is following up on that,” Jaykus said.

Officials with the FDA and the USDA had previously said milk from affected cattle did not enter the commercial supply. Milk from sick animals is supposed to be diverted and destroyed. Federal regulations require milk that enters interstate commerce to be pasteurized.

Tests for viable virus underway, agency says

Because the detection of the bird flu virus known as Type A H5N1 in dairy cattle is new and the situation is evolving, no studies on the effects of pasteurization on the virus have been completed, FDA officials said. But past research shows that pasteurization is “very likely” to inactivate heat-sensitive viruses like H5N1, the agency added.

The agency said it has been evaluating milk from affected animals, in the processing system and on the shelves. It said it is completing a large, representative national sample to understand the extent of the findings.

The FDA said it is further assessing any positive findings through egg inoculation tests, which it described as a gold standard for determining viable virus.

Matt Herrick, a spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association, said that time and temperature regulations for pasteurization ensure that the commercial U.S. milk supply is safe. Remnants of the virus “have zero impact on human health,” he wrote in an email.

Scientists confirmed the H5N1 virus in dairy cows in March after weeks of reports that cows in Texas were suffering from a mysterious malady. The cows were lethargic and saw a dramatic reduction in milk production. Although the H5N1 virus is lethal to commercial poultry, most infected cattle seem to recover within two weeks, experts said.

To date, two people in the U.S. have been infected with bird flu. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.


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Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says – Hamilton Spectator

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

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