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Nontyphoidal Salmonella are consistently among the most commonly reported bacterial pathogens linked to enteric illness in Canada and the United States (1,2). In most cases, human infection is ultimately attributed [...]

The rapid emergence of monkeypox in nonendemic regions of the world during 2022 has health systems on alert (1). Monkeypox is a zoonosis caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV) (genus Orthopoxvirus [...]

Background: An outbreak of Salmonella Infantis was associated with the consumption of shredded pork products at multiple restaurants in Ontario between July 2021 and October 2021. The outbreak involved 36 case-patients from six public health units. The implicated shredded pork products were obtained from an unlicensed source. This is the largest reported outbreak of Salmonella Infantis linked to restaurant food exposures in Ontario, with complexities related to the investigation of unlicensed foods. This article aims to describe the epidemiological, food safety and laboratory investigations that led to the identification and removal of the source of the outbreak from implicated restaurants, including the challenges encountered while investigating an outbreak related to an unlicensed source of food. Methods: Epidemiological and laboratory analyses were conducted to identify the source of the outbreak. Food safety investigations were conducted to ascertain the origin and distribution of the implicated food. Results: Whole-genome sequencing identified the outbreak strain from the isolates of 36 casepatients across six public health units in Ontario. Seven case-patients (19%) were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. The outbreak was linked to shredded pork products (i.e., rinds or skins) that were distributed by an unlicensed meat processor and consumed at various restaurants that served Southeast Asian fusion cuisine concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area. The product was removed from implicated restaurants. Conclusion: Historically, foods from unlicensed sources have been implicated in multiple large outbreaks and continue to be of significant public health risk. The outbreak investigation emphasized the threat of food from unlicensed sources to the public’s health and the importance of additional public health interventions to prevent outbreaks linked to unlicensed sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is a formidable pathogen acquired primarily through contaminated food. Invasive listeriosis is a reportable disease in Ontario, Canada; [approximately equal to]50 case-patients (0.4 cases/100,000 persons) have been reported [...]

Emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical and personal care products, are receiving considerable attention owing to their potential to negatively impact the environment and to pose risks to human health. The widespread use of antibiotics and their fate and transport in the environment pose further risks with respect to public health and the development of antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs). While the occurrence of AROs is important, there is increasing interest in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). An urgent need exists to improve our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the spread and development of ARGs in both clinical and veterinary settings, the human body (gastrointestinal tract and microbiome) as well as in engineered (wastewater treatment plants) and natural (soil, sediments and water) environments. This review focuses on ARGs as an emerging environmental contaminant. The factors and mechanisms involved in ARG dissemination in a variety of environments are explored in detail. The unique challenges of ARGs with respect to policy-making and environmental monitoring are identified, and recommendations regarding how these challenges might be addressed are provided. Key words: antibiotic resistance genes, Canadian policy, emerging contaminant, monitoring, dissemination. Les nouveaux contaminants, y compris les produits pharmaceutiques et de soins personnels, recoivent beaucoup d'attention a cause des possibilites qu'ils aient un impact negatif sur l'environnement et posent un risque a la sante humaine. L'utilisation generalisee d'antibiotiques ainsi que leur devenir et leur transport dans l'environnement posent des risques supplementaires en matiere de sante publique et du developpement d'organismes resistants aux antibiotiques (ORA). Bien que l'apparition d'ORA soit importante, on s'interesse de plus en plus aux genes resistants aux antibiotiques (GRA). Il existe un besoin urgent d'ameliorer notre comprehension des mecanismes associes a la propagation et au developpement des GRA dans les milieux cliniques et veterinaires, dans le corps humain (le tractus gastro-intestinal et le microbiome) ainsi que dans les environnements artificiels (les usines de traitement des eaux usees) et naturels (le sol, les sediments et l'eau). Ce dossier porte sur les GRA en tant que nouveau contaminant environnemental. On explore en detail les facteurs et les mecanismes qui jouent un role dans la dissemination des GRA dans differents environnements. On identifie les defis particuliers poses par le GRA en matiere d'elaboration des politiques et de la surveillance de l'environnement, et on donne des recommandations a s avoir comment on pourrait relever ces defis. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : gene resistant aux antibiotiques, politique canadienne, contaminant emergent, surveillance, dissemination., 1. Introduction Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) should be considered a biological contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). Traditionally, the concept of a contaminant has been attributed to chemical compounds that are [...]

Fecal contamination in recreational waters causes adverse health outcomes in humans; yet, surprisingly, a paucity of literature addresses recreational water quality in North America. The authors addressed this gap by evaluating E. coli contamination of southeastern Ontario, Canada, recreational beach waters between the years 2008-2011. They tested water samples for microbial contamination by the membrane filtration method. They used Friedman's and repeated measures analyses of variance and descriptive statistics to assess annual and monthly E. coli levels as well as noncompliance to the Ontario bathing beach standard. Seven waters showed high noncompliance to the Ontario standard, which could negatively affect the health of local recreational beach users. The authors' study provides much needed baseline information on beach water quality. They call for greater recreational water sampling and reporting standardization across North American jurisdictions., Although most of the information presented in the Journal refers to situations within the United States, environmental health and protection know no boundaries. The Journal periodically runs International Perspectives to [...]

OBJECTIVE: Rural populations are at an elevated risk of gastrointestinal illness, as they are dependent on private groundwater sources, and water quality remains the responsibility of the owner. Previous research suggests that only a minority of well water owners test their wells for bacteriological contamination. The aim of this study was to use testing records, in conjunction with current provincial guidelines, to assess submission rates and temporal trends in southeastern Ontario. METHODS: Using five years of data (2008-2012) from the Public Health Ontario Laboratory in Kingston, Ontario, submissions of well water samples from unique properties (identified through geocoding) were descriptively analyzed. Temporal trends in guideline compliance were tested using a Cochran Armitage test. Finally, correlations between time and submission numbers were investigated using a 10-year provincial dataset to identify long-term temporal trends. RESULTS: There were 107,547 submissions in the five years studied, 84% of which were geocoded, culminating in 30,687 unique properties. Although 11%-12% of owners met the guidelines in any given year, only 0.3% met them every year in the five-year study. Statistically significant decreases were found temporally both in the number of properties that met current guidelines and in all samples tested. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to use submission records, rather than surveys, to definitively demonstrate that private well water submission guidelines are not being met in Ontario. However, there are no consistent guidelines across the country or continent, and limited supporting scientific literature is available. Significant research is required to develop evidence-based policies. KEY WORDS: Drinking water; water wells; water quality; guidelines OBJECTIF : Les populations rurales ont un risque eleve de maladies gastrointestinales, car elles dependent de sources d'eau souterraine privees; or, la qualite de cette eau est encore la responsabilite des proprietaires. Selon des etudes anterieures, seule une minorite de proprietaires de puits testent leur eau pour depister une contamination bacterienne. Le but de notre etude etait d'utiliser les dossiers de prelevement d'echantillons d'eau, conjointement avec les directives provinciales en vigueur, pour evaluer les taux et les tendances temporelles des envois d'echantillons dans le Sud-Est de l'Ontario. METHODE : A l'aide de donnees compilees sur cinq ans (2008-2012) par le laboratoire de Sante publique Ontario A Kingston, en Ontario, nous avons fait l'analyse descriptive des envois d'echantillons d'eau de puits de proprietes uniques (identifiees par geocodage). Les tendances temporelles de conformite aux directives ont ete evaluees A l'aide du test de Cochran-Armitage. Enfin, les correlations entre le temps et le nombre d'envois ont ete etudiees A l'aide d'un jeu de donnees provincial de 10 ans pour en degager des tendances temporelles A long terme. RESULTATS : Il y a eu 107 547 envois d'echantillons au cours des cinq annees de l'etude, dont 84 % geocodes, ce qui donne 30 687 proprietes uniques. Bien qu'entre 11 et 12 % des proprietaires aient respecte les directives au cours d'une annee donnee, A peine 0,3 % les ont respectees tous les ans au cours des cinq annees de l'etude. Des baisses significatives dans le temps ont ete observees, tant du nombre de proprietes conformes aux directives en vigueur que du nombre total d'echantillons testes. CONCLUSIONS : Cette etude est la premiere A utiliser des dossiers d'envoi d'echantillons, plutot que des enquetes, pour faire la preuve definitive que les directives d'envoi d'echantillons d'eau de puits prives ne sont pas suivies en Ontario. Toutefois, ces directives ne sont pas uniformes A l'echelle du pays ou du continent, et les etudes scientifiques A l'appui sont limitees. Des recherches considerables sont necessaires pour elaborer des politiques fondees sur les preuves. MOTS CLES : eau potable; puits d'eau; qualite de l'eau; directives, Waterborne illness is an ongoing concern in rural regions of Canada. The populations in these regions, estimated to be three to four million (1) in number, are dependent on private [...]