Infectious disease

In Nunavik, the battle against bacterial sexually transmissible and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) has become increasingly urgent. In the wake of mass interventions in the 1990s, and despite more recent efforts, the region has been unable to lower its incidence curves, particularly for gonococcal infection, which has reached epidemic proportions since fall 2007. In this context, and spurred by the renewed interest of medical teams on the ground, the Direction de santé publique (department…

Every year, over 3 million patients, including many cases of transmissible infections, arrive at Québec's emergency departments on foot or by ambulance. In Québec, reference documents are available on emergency department organization and design. However, at present, there are few recommendations for infection prevention and control (IPC) in the literature that focus on practice in an emergency care setting.

This document has been prepared in connection with Action 8…

In 2007, the Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec (CIQ) recommended an extended schedule exclusively for immunization against the human papilloma virus (HPV) starting in grade 4 (0, 6, 60 months); the committee also stated that the third dose should be administered “if judged necessary.” Since the introduction of the Québec HPV immunization program in 2008, similar programs (two doses administered six months apart and a possible third dose if necessary) have been introduced in Mexico and…

The human papillomavirus (HPV) belongs to the Papillomaviridae family, which includes at least 100 genotypes affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Of these, about 40 affect the anogenital area in particular, and approximately 15 are oncogenic. Genotypes 16 and 18 are responsible for 70-76% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. Genotypes 6 and 11 are non-oncogenic but are responsible for most cases of condyloma (anogenital warts [AGW]).

HPV prevalence and incidence…

Divider curtains are often used in health care settings to surround patient’s bed and provide privacy. Many factors contribute to the concern that these curtains are a potential source for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms: 1) caregivers and patients touch curtains frequently; 2) in some settings, curtains are not often cleaned or changed; 3) health care workers and patients who handle curtains do not necessarily cleanse their hands before (or after) touching them.

In May…

The live attenuated influenza virus vaccine (LAIV), Flumist®, administered by intranasal spray, is approved for people aged 2-59 years. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended in its statement for the 2011-2012 season that, given its efficacy and immunogenicity, LAIV should be used preferentially for healthy children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 years. NACI also indicates that LAIV can be used for children with chronic diseases, other than immune…

This collection of 11 case studies extracted from existing documents or research proposals is part of a larger project on ethics during a pandemic currently being undertaken by the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP), and is intended to contribute to one of our larger core objectives, which is to provoke reflection on the use of ethical analysis in public health practice and for the development of healthy public policy.

The general aim of this series…

In 2002, the Table de coordination nationale de maladies infectieuses tasked a multisectoral working group with the development of a professional practice and intervention guide for persons who work with nonhuman primates. In 2010, the Table asked the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) to publish the guide and make it available to the public.

This guide is intended primarily for public health professionals, clinicians, emergency physicians, veterinary physicians,…

Since 2000, the resurgence of syphilis in Québec has led to increased screening and resulted in a greater number of reported cases, particularly in the Montréal area. To meet the growing demand for laboratory testing, some medical diagnostic laboratories have introduced an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test into their syphilis detection algorithm. This situation raised concerns among general practitioners, microbiologists and infectious disease specialists with regards to the interpretation of…

Given that certain questions have been raised regarding the results of studies on the effects of SISs, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) has taken the initiative of carrying out a critical analysis of these studies.

The objective of this report is to evaluate the relevance of establishing supervised injection sites in the province of Québec. It is based on a critical analysis of the scientific research carried out to date on the effects of SISs and on a review…