Tuberculosis in Canada 2003 and 2004 Pre-Releases: Canada
To facilitate an earlier release of Canadian tuberculosis (TB) data, tables have been extracted from the Canadian Tuberculosis Reporting System for the years 2003 and 2004. Data included in these pre-release reports should be considered provisional until publication of the full report Tuberculosis in Canada 2003 and Tuberculosis in Canada 2004. The pre-release for 2003 can be accessed online at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/tbcan-pre03/index.html. The pre-release for 2004 can be accessed online at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/tbcan-pre04/index.html.
Source: Tuberculosis Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, 20 June 2006

Hantavirus Infection: British Columbia
Interior Health (IH) released that a fourteen year old Okanagan boy has died of hantavirus infection on 16 June 2006. The Medical Health Officer for the Okanagan, stated the teen was most likely infected in his home, which was in a semi-rural area and had an infestation of mice. Hantavirus causing HPS was only first identified in North America in 1993, and since that time nine cases are known to have occurred in British Columbia, with seven of the cases in the IH region. Two of the previous six IH residents with Hantavirus have died of the disease.
Source: News Release, Interior Health, 20 June 2006

Malaria: Bahamas
The Public Health Agency of Canada is closely monitoring an outbreak of P. falciparum malaria on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas and reports of malaria in tourists who have visited Great Exuma. The Agency has been notified of one lab-confirmed case of P. falciparum malaria in a Canadian traveller. In addition, the U.S. has also reported one case in a returning traveller. Both of these cases traveled to Great Exuma. As of 14 June 2006, 16 confirmed cases of malaria have been detected during the past week. All 16 cases occurred in Bahamian residents. None of the patients reported recent travel to places where malaria is endemic.
Source: Travel Health Advisory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 17 June 2006

Malaria: United States
A family of U.S. residents originally from Nigeria went back to Nigeria, a malaria risk country, to visit friends and relatives without taking anti-malaria pills. After returning to the U.S., all the five children who had traveled came down with P. falciparum malaria. All five required hospitalization, three of them in the intensive care unit. Travelers to malaria-risk countries should take precautions against malaria by taking anti-malaria pills and avoiding mosquito bites. This is particularly important for U.S. travelers originally from malaria-risk countries who return to their countries of origin to visit friends and relatives.
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Volume 55, No. 23, 16 June 2006

Sexual and Reproductive Health: Global
Leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, are coordinating action to reverse the global trend of deteriorating levels of sexual and reproductive health and reduce the adverse impact on mothers, babies and young people. Globally, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services have resulted in maternal deaths and rising numbers of sexually transmitted infections, particularly in developing countries. WHO estimates that 340 million new cases of sexually transmitted bacterial infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea occur annually in people aged 15 - 49. Many are untreated because of lack of access to services. In addition, millions of cases of viral infection, including HIV, occur every year. The sexually transmitted human papilloma virus infection is closely associated with cervical cancer, which is diagnosed in more than 490,000 women and causes 240,000 deaths every year. Around eight million women who become pregnant each year suffer life-threatening complications as a result of sexually transmitted infections and poor sexual health. Annually, an estimated 529,000 women, almost all in developing countries, die during pregnancy and childbirth from largely preventable causes.
Source: News Release, World Health Organization, 20 June 2006

The details given are for information only and may be very provisional. Where incidents are considered of national importance and are ongoing, the initial report will be updated as new information becomes available.