Public Health Alerts for Health Care Professionals

Monkeypox

Posted Friday, May 20, 2022

To: All Physicians, ERs, CHCs, Walk-in Clinics, Travel Clinics
Date: May 20, 2022
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Healt

Dear Colleagues:

At the time of writing, there have not been any cases of monkeypox reported to Ottawa Public Health (OPH); however, local cases would not be unexpected. The Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario (PHO) are preparing Ontario-specific guidance. Until this is available, OPH suggests the following. 

The US...

Update on COVID-19 adverse events following immunization

Posted Wednesday, May 18, 2022

To: Ottawa Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Midwives, Travel Clinics and Walk-in Clinics, and Infection Control
Date: May 17, 2022
From: Dr. Trevor Arnason, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues:

Thank you for your continued work toward the common goal of safely vaccinating the community of Ottawa against COVID-19. In the past few months there have been many updates to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidance on COVID-19 immunization...

Reporting cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children

Posted Friday, May 06, 2022

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: Friday, May 6 
From: Dr. Monir Taha (Associate Medical Officer of Health)

Ontario has set up a system to receive reports of cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children up to 16 years of age subsequent to international reports of such cases in 2022. Please visit Acute Hepatitis - Ministry Programs - Health Care Professionals - MOH (gov.on.ca) for additional information. The Order of The...

Locally-acquired typhoid fever in Ottawa

Posted Wednesday, May 04, 2022

To: Ottawa physicians, nurse practitioners, emergency departments, CHCs, walk-in clinics
Date: May 4, 2022
From: Dr. Monir Taha (Associate Medical Officer of Health)

When assessing patients presenting with clinically compatible signs/symptoms, please consider typhoid fever even in the absence of travel history to an endemic country. Between October 2018 and February 2022, Ottawa Public Health received reports of 5 cases with similar whole-genome sequencing in...

Influenza Activity in Ottawa

Posted Friday, April 29, 2022

To: Ottawa Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Midwives and Infection Prevention and Control teams
Date: April 28, 2022
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health

The traditional influenza season can run as late as May or even into June. Public Health measures against COVID-19 suppressed influenza, but as these measures have been relaxed, influenza has returned. Please consider influenza in your differential diagnosis of febrile respiratory illness...