News

Important Updates on Reporting Infectious Diseases

The timely reporting of communicable diseases to Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is essential for their control. Reports from physicians ensure that OPH is able to undertake the necessary preventive and protective actions required to maintain the health of our community. The Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) outlines which suspected or confirmed communicable diseases of public health significance are designated reportable by physicians, laboratories, administrators of hospitals, schools and...

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Influenza 2018-2019: Important updates for physicians

New this year, quadrivalent vaccine (QIV) is publicly funded for everyone 6 months of age and older through Ontario’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP).

The QIV vaccine covers against two A strains (A/H1N1/Michigan and A/H3N2/Singapore) and two B viruses (B/Colorado and B/Phuket).

The 2018/2019 UIIP publicly funded influenza products are:

• FluLavalTetra® QIV for persons 6 months of age and older supplied in a multidose vial.
• Fluzone Quadrivalent® (QIV) for anyone 6 months of age and...

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Blastomycosis Case, Ottawa ex Northwestern Ontario

To: Emergency Departments, Emergency Physicians, Infectious Disease SpecialistsFrom: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public HealthSubject: Blastomycosis Case, Ottawa ex Northwestern Ontario

Blastomycosis became reportable in Ontario in 2018. A case of blastomycosis in an Ottawa resident has been reported to Ottawa Public Health (OPH). Exposure was likely to have been in the Kenora area of northwestern Ontario. OPH is writing to alert you that this rare disease can...

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Reference guide for the upcoming 2018-2019 influenza season

To: Ottawa Healthcare ProvidersFrom: Dr. Geneviève Cadieux, Associate Medical Officer of HealthSubject: Reference guide for the upcoming 2018-2019 influenza season

For your convenience, we have collated all the key resources for the upcoming 2018-2019 influenza season into this memo. Detailed information is available on our new influenza webpage for healthcare providers: http://www.OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Physicians-Flu

• Ottawa Public Health’s weekly respiratory and...

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New Cases of Listeriosis associated with Druxy’s at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto

To: Emergency Departments, Emergency Physicians, Infectious Disease SpecialistsFrom: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public HealthSubject: New Cases of Listeriosis associated with Druxy’s at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto

Ottawa Public Health has been informed of a new outbreak investigation of 4 Listeria monocytogenes cases in Ontario that are linked by molecular testing. Of the cases with available information, all 3 reported eating at the Druxy’s Famous...

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