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Numerous tick species are undergoing significant range expansion in Canada, including several Dermacentorspp Koch (Acari: Ixodidae). With the recent description of Dermacentor similisLado in the western United States, additional research is required to determine the current range of this species. Five hundred ninety-eight Dermacentorspp. were collected from companion animals in the western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Ticks were morphologically identified to species, followed by PCR and gel electrophoresis of the ITS-2 partial gene target (n= 595). Ninety-seven percent (n= 579/595) generated valid banding patterns. The banding pattern for the majority (74%, n= 206/278) of Dermacentorspp. from southern British Columbia was consistent with D. variabilis(Say), while 26% (n= 72/278) was consistent with D. andersoniStiles. For samples from Alberta, 38% (n= 3/8) had banding patterns consistent with D. variabilisand 63% (n= 5/8) with D. andersoni. All (n= 293) ticks from Saskatchewan had banding patterns consistent with D. variabilis.After the description of D. similiswas published, DNA sequencing of mitochondrial (16S rDNA gene, COI gene) and nuclear (ITS-2) markers was used to confirm the identity of 40 samples. Twenty-seven samples that had banding patterns consistent with D. variabilisfrom British Columbia were confirmed to be D. similis. One sample from Alberta and five from Saskatchewan were confirmed to be D. variabilisand seven samples from British Columbia were D. andersoni. The ITS-2 amplicons were not useful for differentiating between D. variabilisand D. similis. These results provide evidence of D. similisin western Canada and highlight that sequences of the mitochondrial genes are effective for distinguishing D. andersoni, D. variabilis, and D. similis.

Psychosocial factors are related to immune, viral, and vaccination outcomes. Yet, this knowledge has been poorly represented in public health initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review provides an overview of biopsychosocial links relevant to COVID-19 outcomes by describing seminal evidence about these associations known prepandemic as well as contemporary research conducted during the pandemic. This focuses on the negative impact of the pandemic on psychosocial health and how this in turn has likely consequences for critically relevant viral and vaccination outcomes. We end by looking forward, highlighting the potential of psychosocial interventions that could be leveraged to support all people in navigating a postpandemic world and how a biopsychosocial approach to health could be incorporated into public health responses to future pandemics.

Objectives: The effectiveness of public health interventions for mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on individual attitudes, compliance, and the level of support available to allow for compliance with these measures. The aim of this study was to describe attitudes and behaviours towards the Canadian COVID-19 public health response, and identify risk-modifying behaviours based on socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered in May 2020 to members of a paid panel representative of the Canadian population by age, gender, official language, and region of residence. A total of 4981 respondents provided responses for indicators of self-reported risk perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours towards COVID-19 public health measures. Results: More than 90% of respondents reported confidence in the ability to comply with a variety of public health measures. However, only 51% reported preparedness for illness in terms of expectation to work if sick or access to paid sick days. Risk perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours varied by demographic variables. Men, younger age groups, and those in the paid workforce were less likely to consider public health measures to be effective, and had less confidence in their ability to comply. Approximately 80% of respondents reported that parents provided childcare and 52% reported that parents in the workforce provided childcare while schools were closed. Conclusion: Policies to help address issues of public adherence include targeted messaging for men and younger age groups, social supports for those who need to self-isolate, changes in workplace policies to discourage presenteeism, and provincially co-ordinated masking and safe school policies.

Campylobactercause gastroenteritis in humans and may be shed in the feces of livestock and poultry species, including cattle, chicken, turkey, and swine. However, a synthesis of the prevalence on farms in the United States and Canada is currently lacking. Thus, our objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, and Campylobacterspp. on livestock and poultry farms operated under commercial conditions in the United States and Canada. The relevant literature was identified and examined for eligibility based on a prioriinclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed. The data were transformed using the Freeman-Tukey arcsine transformation to stabilize the variance. A separate meta-analysis was performed for each animal species, level of sampling (individual versus pooled), and species of Campylobacter, for a total of 29 meta-analyses. C. jejuniand Campylobacterspp. were present in all livestock and poultry species of interest, whereas C. coliwas found in all species of interest with the exception of chickens. Furthermore, substantial heterogeneity was observed in most meta-analyses. In an attempt to account for this, subgroup analyses were performed on potential moderators. However, with the exception of beef cattle, where studies in feedlot cattle reported a consistently higher prevalence compared with adult cattle on pasture, significant heterogeneity remained in the majority of meta-analyses after accounting for potential moderators. The results of this review can be used to inform future risk assessment, consumer and producer awareness, and resource allocation, and identify gaps for future research.

CONTEXTE:Au Canada, on utilise des interventions d’éloignement physique pour ralentir la propagation du SRAS-CoV-2 (coronavirus du syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère 2), mais on ignore au juste quelle en sera l’efficacité. Nous avons évalué comment différentes interventions non pharmacologiques pouvaient être utilisées pour maîtriser la pandémie de COVID-19 (maladie à coronavirus 2019) et alléger le fardeau qu’elle impose au système de santé.MÉTHODES:Nous avons utilisé un modèle à compartiments structuré selon l’âge pour faire une analyse de la transmission de la COVID-19 dans la population de l’Ontario, au Canada. Nous avons comparé un scénario de référence, soit dépistage limité, isolement et quarantaine, à des scénarios incluant dépistage accru, mesures strictes d’éloignement physique, ou combinaison de dépistage accru et d’éloignement physique moins strict. Les interventions étaient appliquées soit pendant des durées fixes, soit selon un cycle dynamique en fonction de l’occupation projetée des lits dans les unités de soins intensifs (USI). Nous présentons les médianes et les intervalles de crédibilité tirés de 100 expériences répliquées par scénario sur un horizon temporel de 2 ans.RÉSULTATS:Selon le scénario de référence, nous avons estimé que 56 % (intervalle de crédibilité de 95 %, 42 %–63 %) de la population ontarienne contractait l’infection pendant l’épidémie. Au moment du sommet épidémique, nous avons projeté 107 000 (intervalle de crédibilité de 95 %, 60 760–149 000) hospitalisations (soins standards) et 55 500 (intervalle de crédibilité de 95 %, 32 700–75 200) hospitalisations dans les USI. Pour les scénarios à durée fixe, selon les projections, toutes les interventions retardaient et réduisaient la hauteur du sommet épidémique par rapport au scénario de référence, et ce sont les mesures d’éloignement physique strict qui exerçaient le plus d’effet; de même, les interventions de durée plus longue étaient plus efficaces. Selon les projections, les interventions dynamiques réduisaient la proportion de la population atteinte à la fin de la période de 2 ans et pouvaient ramener le nombre médian de cas dans les USI en deçà des estimations actuelles de leur capacité en Ontario.INTERPRÉTATION:Sans éloignement physique substantiel ou une combinaison d’éloignement physique modéré et de dépistage accru, nous projetons que les ressources des USI pourraient être insuffisantes. L’éloignement physique dynamique maintiendrait la capacité du système de santé en plus de donner un répit psychologique et économique périodique aux populations.

BACKGROUND: In the face of an influenza pandemic, accurate estimates of epidemiologic parameters are required to help guide decision-making. We sought to estimate epidemiologic parameters for pandemic H1N1 influenza using data from initial reports of laboratory-confirmed cases. METHODS: We obtained data on laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic H1N1 influenza reported in the province of Ontario, Canada, with dates of symptom onset between Apr. 13 and June 20, 2009. Incubation periods and duration of symptoms were estimated and fit to parametric distributions. We used competing-risk models to estimate risk of hospital admission and case-fatality rates. We used a Markov Chain Monte Carlo model to simulate disease transmission. RESULTS: The median incubation period was 4 days and the duration of symptoms was 7 days. Recovery was faster among patients less than 18 years old than among older patients (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.44). The risk of hospital admission was 4.5% (95% CI 3.8%–5.2%) and the case-fatality rate was 0.3% (95% CI 0.1%–0.5%). The risk of hospital admission was highest among patients less than 1 year old and those 65 years or older. Adults more than 50 years old comprised 7% of cases but accounted for 7 of 10 initial deaths (odds ratio 28.6, 95% confidence interval 7.3–111.2). From the simulation models, we estimated the following values (and 95% credible intervals): a mean basic reproductive number (R0, the number of new cases created by a single primary case in a susceptible population) of 1.31 (1.25–1.38), a mean latent period of 2.62 (2.28–3.12) days and a mean duration of infectiousness of 3.38 (2.06–4.69) days. From these values we estimated a serial interval (the average time from onset of infectiousness in a case to the onset of infectiousness in a person infected by that case) of 4–5 days. INTERPRETATION: The low estimates for R0indicate that effective mitigation strategies may reduce the final epidemic impact of pandemic H1N1 influenza.

Objective.To examine the impact of different acellular pertussis booster vaccination strategies on the probability of a nosocomial pertussis outbreak occurring and the distribution of outbreak sizes observed for each intervention strategy.Setting.Neonatal intensive care unit.Methods.We developed a stochastic, agent-based simulation model to examine the impact of booster vaccination strategies for pertussis on health care-related transmission.Results.Our results demonstrate that healthcare worker booster vaccination decreases the probability of secondary transmission from 49% (base case, no boosting) to 2% (if 95% of healthcare workers are boosted) and decreases final outbreak size. Boosting family caregivers did not have a clinically significant impact on nosocomial disease transmission.Conclusion.The provision of booster vaccine to healthcare workers in the neonatal intensive care unit substantially reduces the risk of hospital-centered pertussis outbreaks in a manner that enhances the health of hospitalized children. A formal health economic analysis of this finding is currently under way. Policies to protect patient safety in pediatric facilities should include compliance with the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends provision of pertussis booster vaccination to healthcare workers.