Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/ June 5, 2024
The Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health held its regular meeting for June 2024 today. The agenda package can be reviewed at hpePublicHealth.ca.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza
Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH), provided an update to the Board on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. The virus can infect wild birds, such as geese, ducks, shore birds and can also infect domestic poultry. In addition, it has been detected in dairy cattle in the United States.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1 – A(H5N1) – was first reported in Canada in December 2021, and the virus has since been detected in wild birds in every province and territory. In the United States, there have been three known human cases of A(H5N1) reported by the Centre for Disease Control. The cases are associated with an ongoing multi-state outbreak in U.S. dairy cows. The risk to the general public remains low; however, people are discouraged from consuming undercooked meat and unpasteurized dairy products.
How to protect yourself from bird flu:
- Stay away from wild birds.
- Avoid unprotected contact with domestic birds that appear to be sick or have died.
- Avoid contact with surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from wild or domestic birds.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after unavoidable contact with birds or their droppings.
- Report sick or dead wild birds that are on municipal property to your local municipality and on the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative reporting tool or by calling 1-866-673-4781.
- If you become ill and think you may have been exposed to an infected animal, contact your health care provider immediately.
How to protect your pets:
- When outdoors, ensure pets stay away from sick or dead birds or animals.
- Keep your cats indoors and dogs on a leash when out for a walk.
- Consult with your veterinarian for more information on avian influenza in pets or if your pet is sick, and visit the Government of Canada website for more information on protecting your pets.
- Visit the Avian Influenza Dashboard for the Latest information on HPAI in wild birds and other wildlife in Canada.
For more information visit Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in livestock – Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Additional information about avian flu is available through the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Pride month
HPEPH is celebrating Pride month by encouraging staff from all programs to consider how they serve the 2SLGBTQI+ population and can increase capacity to provide more inclusive services. All our programs have a role to play celebrating Pride and supporting the health and well-being of 2SLGBTQI+ community members. We recognize that 2SLGBTQI+ community members are members of our community, and we and are working to improve inclusive service provision across the organization.
We have also recently launched new Client Service Standards, which reinforce that we will strive to provide services and physical spaces that are inclusive of all members of our communities. Public health will be sending program representatives to Pride in the Park on June 8 in Belleville, to raise awareness about how our programs support sexual and gender diverse people.
Respiratory illness dashboard
In the fall of 2024, HPEPH will be launching an expanded respiratory illness dashboard. Over the summer months, while work is underway to finalize the new respiratory illness dashboard, the COVID-19 Dashboard and the Weekly Respiratory Infection Dashboard will not be updated. The spread of respiratory viruses is typically low throughout the summer months, and reporting of respiratory illness indicators will be limited to outbreaks in high-risk settings. Provincial data on respiratory viruses continues to be available through Public Health Ontario.
Public health’s work to prevent and respond to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses will continue, in alignment with the Ontario Public Health Standards, as it is now integrated into our ongoing operations.
2023 Annual Report
The 2023 Annual Report was presented to the Board and is now available at hpePublicHealth.ca. In 2023, HPEPH identified and responded to many emerging local public health issues and implemented new and innovative programs, while also continuing to deliver regular programs and services. Key facts and figures are available in the online report.
Summer food safety reminders
June 7 is World Food Safety Day, which aims to draw attention to food safety standards, which save lives. Foodborne diseases affect 1 in 10 people worldwide each year, and food standards help to ensure what we eat is safe. Knowing how to protect yourself from foodborne illness is important to keep you safe and healthy.
Summer food safety tips:
- If you’re taking hot or cold food for school or to a gathering, keep hot foods hot (60°C or warmer) and cold foods cold (4°C or colder).
- For hot foods, use insulated thermal containers or wrap hot food in foil and cover with heavy towels
- Cold foods can be kept in coolers containing ice or frozen gel packs. Use a thermometer to check your food is kept below 4°C.
- Don’t serve raw eggs or consume ingredients containing raw eggs. They may contain bacteria such as Salmonella or pathogenic (illness-causing) E. coli.
- If you’re making ice-cream or dessert this summer, consider using pasteurized eggs in recipes that don’t involve cooking the eggs.
If you are barbequing this summer, here are a few tips to avoid getting sick:
- Marinate and store raw meat at 4°C or lower.
- Wash hands after handling raw meat.
- Avoid cross-contamination of ready to eat foods with raw meat.
- Use a clean plate when taking food off the grill.
- Use a digital food thermometer to ensure you have cooked meat thoroughly.
If you are canning at home, ensure you use validated recipes and good food safety practices to control or eliminate the growth of microorganisms and produce a safe canned product. For more information, review PHO’s Literature Review on Home Canning.
Rabies update
Public Health Inspector Ruxshin Amooyan presented the 2023 Rabies Report to the board. Rabies, an acute viral disease that is nearly always fatal, is transmitted mainly through saliva via bite or scratch from an infected mammal.
In 2023, HPEPH conducted 702 rabies investigations and one bat tested positive for rabies. Fifty-eight individuals were provided with treatment (exposure prophylaxis and vaccine) to prevent them from getting rabies, in most cases after being bitten by a dog. There were no human cases of rabies in 2023 in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.
To learn more about the steps to take to protect yourself and your animals from rabies, visit hpePublicHealth.ca/rabies/.
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For more information contact:
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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