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Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) experience a number of health inequities. That social determinants of health drive these inequities is well-documented, but there is little evidence on the number and types of interventions across Canada that address these determinants for these populations. We conducted an environmental scan of programs in Canada that target SGM, and classified the programs based on their level of intervention (individual/interpersonal, institutional and structural). We found that few programs target women, mid-life adults, Indigenous people or ethnoracial minorities, recent immigrants and refugees, and minority language speakers, and few interventions operate at a structural level., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Evolution of bacterial resistance to certain antibacterial agents in horses in a veterinary hospital. A total of 255 antibiograms, conducted according to the Kirby-Bauer method from bacterial isolates collected from horses at the Hôpital Vétérinaire d'Enseignement at the Université de Montréal between 1996 and 1998 were compared with the results obtained about 10 years ago with corresponding bacterial species. A significant increase in the percentage of strains resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SXT), penicilline, tetracycline, and to gentamicin was observed. The percentages of isolates of Actinobacillus spp. and coagulase-positive staphylococci resistant to TMP-SXT increased from 0% to 17% and from 0% to 33%, respectively, (P < 0.05). The percentage of isolates of Actinobacillus spp resistant to penicilline also increased from 33% to 73% (P < 0.05). Regular monitoring of the evolution of bacterial resistance to antibacterial agents is indispensable in a hospital structure. The adoption of "good antibiotherapy practices" is essential to guarantee a decrease in the risks of selection and dissemination of a resistant bacterial strain.

A sexagenarian couple operating a dairy farm, where there were also many horses, suffered a severe respiratory infection associated with the bacterium Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus. The investigation revealed that the source of infection was due to contacts with a horse having an infected wound from which we isolated this zoonotic agent.

The aim of the study was to assess the relation between the direct smear observations and bacteriological results carried out on equine tracheal secretions. A total of 304 cases comprising both the direct smear (Gram stain) and the bacteriological culture, over a period of 8 years, were submitted to this retrospective study. Most of the specimens (78%) were obtained using tracheal washings while the rest (22%) originated from tracheal brushings. A total of 96 specimens (32%) were negative for both direct smear and culture. The positive predictive value of direct smears appeared high (81-96%) while the negative predictive value was lower (48-79%). Sensitivity of direct smear was considered as low and varied from 24 to 46% for tracheal brushings and from 41 to 46% for tracheal washings. Specificity of direct smear was high for both types of specimens. Results of this study indicate that the use of Gram-stained smear examination, carried out on tracheal secretions, is a technique which is specific but not very sensitive for the prediction of bacteriological culture results. Moreover, the use of tracheal washing, more than tracheal brushing, seems to increase the sensitivity of the test.

This study was designed to evaluate 4 preoperative skin preparations, that is, more specifically, to compare the efficacy of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) and povidone-iodine (PI), as well as 2 hair removal techniques (clipper alone or clipper followed by razor) for preoperative skin preparation in cattle. The 4 protocols resulted in a significant decrease in the number of bacterial colony-forming units (cfu). Group 4 (clipping + shaving + CG) had a significantly lower number of preoperative cfu per gel plate compared with groups 1 (clipping + PI) and 3 (clipping + shaving + PI). Skin reaction frequency was significantly higher in groups 3 and 4 (47.8% for both protocols) than in groups 1 and 2 (clipping + PI or CG) (8.7% for both). Wound infection frequency was 4.3% (4/92) and no significant difference was observed between the 4 treatment groups. The 4 protocols tested were equivalent as to efficacy and satisfactorily decreased skin microflora. Clipping alone was shown to be preferable to clipping plus shaving as a method of hair removal in cattle, with fewer skin reactions and no more wound infections.

Instructions and control measures related to enteric contagious diseases at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal are presented. These control measures, which have given satisfactory results within the past decade, are exemplified by a salmonellosis outbreak that occurred in spring 1996 in the large animal clinic of the VMTH. Emphasis was put on the importance of antigenic and/or genetic characterizations of Salmonella isolates, in order to detect an eventual source of contamination, but also to determine the incidence of nosocomial infections among hospitalized animals.

Bacteriologic detection of Salmonella spp. from feces of animals admitted to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, in Saint-Hyacinthe was carried out during a 1-year period to estimate the prevalence of bovine and equine salmonellosis. Prevalence at the time of hospitalization was quite low: 1.4% in cattle and 1.7% in horses. Incidence was 15.1 cases/100 animal/year in cattle and 38.7 cases/100 animal/year in horses. Serotype typhimurium was the most prevalent in both species. In cattle, cases were evenly distributed over the year. In horses, a recrudescence of cases and a obviousness of transmission were apparent in April 1996.

The relationship with a patient suffering from bronchopulmonary cancer is often difficult for the pulmonary physician. This is because of the gloomy prognosis, the unpleasant reputation of the disease, the length of treatment and its efficacy. The quality of life of the patient depends to a great extent on the manner in which he perceives his illness, participates in the treatment and lives through the various stages of this approach till death. The doctor ought to be the guardian of hope, a hope which changes its form and objective as the disease progresses, all of which lead the patient to an understanding of the gravity of the disease and both enables him to talk about it, while maintaining a confident relationship with the doctor. This double requirement of "truth" from doctor and patient should be present from the onset, till the terminal phase. The whole medical team is concerned with this relationship. A conversation with one person may make the patient fear for any therapeutic hopes, and against those objectives which might have tempered the distress which had risen by an impression of therapeutic impotence. With the family communication is also full of tricky points. The principal preoccupation of the doctor is to preserve the relationship established with the patient. This accompaniment demands great availability and above all a lot of time.

During a two year period, March 1977 to April 1979, a total of 92 bovine abortions were studied. The cause of abortion was determined in 34.8% of the cases examined. Opportunistic bacteria, the most commonly diagnosed cause of abortion, accounted for 31.2% of the cases. Leptospirosis was associated with 28.1% of the abortions, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and fungi in respectively 15.7%, bovine viral diarrhea in 6.2%. A congenital abnormality accounted for one case (3.1%). In 23 cases (25%), there was no definitive diagnosis, in spite of evidence of experience with pathogen or suggestive findings of pathology, but insufficient evidence to warrant diagnosis. No findings were recorded in 35.8% of the (possibly noninfectious) cases and in only four cases (4.4%), specimens were unsatisfactory for examination.

Dermatophilus congolensis infection in a dairy cow in QuebecA case of infection by Dermatophilus congonlensis is described for the first time in the Province of Quebec, in a dairy cow. Dermatophilosis was diagnosed in the area of Saint-Hyacinthe in October 1978. It was not possible to find the source of the infection. The isolation of the microorganism was successful and the three techniques used are described. The death of the animal was attributed to complications following invasion by a secondary pathogen. All the other animals in the herd were free from clinical signs of infection. Moreover, no other case of infection by D. congolensis was found in other animal species or humans in the area.