News

Updated treatment recommendations for N. gonorrhoeae

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: January 27, 2025
From: Dr. Michelle Foote, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues,

Please see the attached memo (available only in English) from the Ministry of Health regarding updated treatment recommendations for N. gonorrhoeae.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has provided updated interim guidance on the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae infections, due to changing patterns of antibiotic resistance. The preferred treatment for...

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Reminder of Changes to Ontario’s Publicly Funded Pneumococcal Vaccine Program

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: January 9, 2025
From: Dr. Trevor Arnason, Deputy Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues,

As of July 2024, Ontario’s publicly funded pneumococcal vaccine program transitioned to the following products:

Routine Infant Series:

• Pneu-C-15 (Vaxneuvance®) now replaces Pneu-C-13 (Prevnar®13).

Older Adults and High-Risk Patients:

• Older adults and high-risk patients now receive Pneu-C-20 (Prevnar 20TM) in place of Pneu-P-23 (Pneumovax®23) and/or Pneu-C-13...

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Start of Influenza Season Declared in Ottawa

To: Ottawa Physicians & Nurse Practitioners
Date: January 8, 2025
From: Dr. Laura Bourns (Associate Medical Officer of Health)

Dear Colleagues: 

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is now declaring the start of the influenza season in Ottawa. The start to influenza season is declared when the percent of respiratory lab specimens positive for influenza (percent positivity) reaches 5% for two consecutive weeks. 

For the week ending December 28, the percent of respiratory lab specimens positive for influenza was 9...

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Very low risk of hepatitis A following food service establishment exposure

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: December 17, 2024
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is alerting you to the possibility that patients may seek your assessment related to a potential exposure to hepatitis A. It is possible that patrons of Tim Hortons at 372 Hunt Club Road, Ottawa, between November 15 and December 8, 2024, may have been exposed to hepatitis A, though the risk is deemed very low.

OPH is not recommending hepatitis A...

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Public Health Ontario Report: Mycoplasma pneumoniae testing

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: December 10, 2024
From: Dr. Laura Bourns, Associate Medical Officer of Health

In follow up to preliminary laboratory data released by Public Health Ontario (PHO) to public health units on Mycoplasma pneumoniae (shared in a Public Health Alert issued on November 18), PHO has published a report “Mycoplasma pneumoniae Testing at Public Health Ontario”.  This report summarizes Mycoplasma pneumoniae testing performed by Public Health Ontario (PHO) from...

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