BSE/vCJD
Breast Cancer Screening Program
Common Foodborne Illnesses (Campylobacter Enteritis, Clostridium Perfringens, Haemorraghic Colitis, Listeriosis, Salmonellosis, Shigellosis, Staphylococcal Food Poisoning, Amoebiasis, Giardiasis, Hepatitis A)
Diabetes
Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS)
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hepatitis
HIV Infection/AIDS
Influenza
Lyme Disease
Norovirus / Norwalk-like virus
Pandemic Influenza
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Tuberculosis or TB
Vaccine preventable diseases
West Nile Virus
Information is often your best defense against diseases and conditions.
Alberta Health and Wellness produces and distributes general and specific information about a variety of infectious diseases.
Information is also available from your local regional health authority, and at the Links portion of the News / Media / Resources located on this site.
BSE/ vCJD - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible, neurodegenerative, fatal brain disease of cattle. The disease has an incubation period of four to five years, but ultimately is fatal for cattle within weeks to months of its onset. BSE first came to the attention of the scientific community in November 1986 in the United Kingdom (UK). Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) are diseases characterized by spongy degeneration of the brain with severe and fatal neurological signs and symptoms. BSE is one of several different forms of transmissible brain disease affecting a number of animal species. While several human TSEs exist, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is the prototype human TSE. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is strongly linked to exposure, probably through food, to BSE.
Website Resources;
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Breast Cancer Screening Program - A new provincial breast cancer screening program will be developed to reduce the Alberta Breast cancer death rate by up to 30 per cent.
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Common Foodborne Illnesses - include bacterial, viral and parasitic varieties. The attached list includes hamburger disease, dysentery, salmonella, many forms of food poisoning and several other diseases that are commonly caused by ingesting unsanitary food or beverages. Each disease is followed by symptoms, causes, prevention and control.
Please note that , in Alberta, private pot luck events (i.e. family gatherings, private gatherings of club members/co-workers and invited guests etc.) do not require a license or permit. However, pot luck events that are open to the general public fall under the Alberta Food Regulations. While these temporary events do not require a food permit they are subject to the policies of the Regional Health Authority (RHA) in which they are held.
Diabetes - Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a serious chronic condition that impedes the production and/or proper use of insulin, a hormone vital to normal metabolism. Although there is no cure for diabetes it can be managed to avoid the development of complications such as: limb amputation, blindness and kidney disease.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in childhood and accounts for 5-10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 1 is not preventable. Individuals with type 1 diabetes manage their condition with insulin, diet, exercise and drugs. Individuals living with type 1 diabetes are at greater risk of long-term complications such as limb amputation, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and premature death.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes affects individuals usually after the age of 40 but it can occur at an earlier age. It accounts for 90-95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is preventable. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by modifying two known risk factors, obesity and physical inactivity. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating, lead to obesity, and play a major role in the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes.
About a third of adults with type 2 diabetes are unaware that they have the condition, which without treatment, puts them at a greater risk of long-term complications such as limb amputation, blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and premature death.
In 2003, approximately 105,000 Albertans had been diagnosed with diabetes. Every month almost 1,000 new cases are added to that total.
Initiatives under the Alberta Diabetes Strategy
Alberta Health and Wellness has formed a partnership with the Canadian Diabetes Association. The Canadian Diabetes Association will develop a multifaceted type 2 diabetes prevention campaign aimed at families, with Aboriginal and general public youth to be encouraged to participate. For more information see the news release. Other partnerships are in the process of being developed.
The Keep Your Body in Check program aims to educate Albertans that healthy eating and regular physical activity are the most important ways to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The program includes special education projects in three communities and a province-wide radio and television public awareness campaign.
Alberta Diabetes Strategy and Prevention
- May, 2003
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Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) - is a disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic haemololytic anaemia (anaemia secondary to red blood cell fragmentation) and renal (kidney) failure.
About 90 per cent of HUS cases are caused by a certain group of bacteria known as verocytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC). E.coli infection is a common cause of food poisoning and can be acquired from foods such as unpasteurised milk or uncooked meat. It can also spread from person to person.
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Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - is carried by some mice and may be transmitted through contact with their droppings. Most cases occur in the spring during cleaning when people may breathe in air borne particles. Early symptoms are similar to the flu, but can quickly develop into severe breathing problems and in some cases hantavirus infection can be fatal.
Hepatitis - is a disease of the liver which caused by a virus. Hepatitis A is a viral disease that is usually caused by ingesting food or drinks that may have been contaminated with fecal matter. Hepatitis B is another virus that is transmitted through an exchange of blood or bodily fluids. People can carry the hepatitis virus without any symptoms. Hepatitis C is spread through exchange of blood, often by sharing needles or other injection equipment.
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HIV Infection/AIDS - the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) weakens the immune system. When the immune system is damaged beyond repair, infections and cancers overwhelm the body, resulting in the final stage of HIV infection, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Influenza - influenza is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. As with many other viral illnesses, there is no cure for influenza at the present time. While the influenza can be mild in some people, in others it can be very serious -- contributing to the development of serious bacterial infections, such as pneumonia. Influenza can even result in death in elderly people or people weakened by other medical conditions. Of all the deaths caused by influenza, most are in the over 65 age group.
Lyme Disease - may affect hikers or campers in the foothills and mountains. The disease is a bacteria that is transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. If left untreated the disease can cause serious neurological and muscle problems.
Pandemic Influenza - annual strains of influenza (flu) virus circulate throughout the world, often causing local outbreaks and regional epidemics. However, three to four times a century, a radical change will occur in the genetic material of the influenza A virus and a new subtype of the virus will suddenly appear. Everyone will be susceptible to infection with the new strain, and if the virus is easily spread from person to person, it will spread rapidly around the world. A global epidemic, called a pandemic, will result. Experts predict an influenza pandemic is likely within the next five to ten years.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - SARS has been under investigation worldwide since the end of February 2003. It is a form of atypical pneumonia that first appeared in S.E. Asia.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases or Infections (STD or STI) - include information on Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, HIV Infections/ AIDS, Herpes, Vaginitis, Venereal Warts, Crabs, Scabies, and Hepatitis B. Each disease is followed by symptoms, causes, prevention and control. STD/HIV Information Line 1-800-772-2437, toll free and confidential. Speak to a nurse during normal business hours.
STD: Taking Care of Yourself and Others - August 2000
STD Teaching Outline and Resource Guide
STD Canadian Guidelines - Health Canada
Sexual Health and Sexually transmitted infections - Health Canada
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Tuberculosis or TB - is caused by airborne TB bacteria. The disease mainly affects the lungs but it can be transported to other areas of the body by blood.
Vaccine preventable diseases – Chickenpox, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Haemophilus Influenza type b, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Pneumococcal Disease and Meningococcal Disease are among the diseases that are covered in the comprehensive Alberta Immunization Program.
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West Nile Virus - West Nile virus can be transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito. Severe illness associated with the virus is rare, but can affect individuals of any age. The risk of severe illness increases with age, but everyone can take some simple steps to protect themselves.
