December 22, 2006

New Quarantine Act: Canada
The Government of Canada announced the coming into force of the new Quarantine Act. The modernization of this legislation addresses urgent issues with respect to the spread of communicable diseases in Canada and abroad. The new Act updates existing legislation that dates back to 1872 and provides new tools to manage serious public health threats. New provisions include the ability to divert an aircraft to an alternate landing site, to designate quarantine facilities at any location in Canada, and to prevent entry to Canada of travellers that represent an imminent and severe public health risk. The Act also complements other legislative initiatives to strengthen Canada’s public health system such as the creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer. The Act also creates two new classes of officials, Environmental Health Officers and Screening Officers. These officials, along with Quarantine officers, will oversee the screening, assessment, and if necessary, detention of people, transport vessels, goods and cargo crossing Canadian borders that represent a public health risk. The presence of these officers will strengthen national preparedness for future potential public health risks including an influenza pandemic. The Act has also built-in a number of guarantees to protect the rights and liberties of travellers, including limits on the sharing of personal health information.
Source: News Release, Public Health Agency of Canada, 12 December 2006

Descriptive Analysis of Endemic and Travel Hepatitis A Cases, 1998 to 2004: Ontario
The purpose of this report is to describe and compare the epidemiology of endemic and travel-related hepatitis A virus (HAV) cases reported in Ontario from 1998 to 2004. HAV is a reportable disease in Ontario under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and groups at high risk for HAV include travelers to countries where HAV is endemic, men having sex with men and intravenous drug users. During the study period, health units in Ontario reported all cases of HAV to the Ontario Ministry of Health. During the period from January 1998 to December 2004, a total of 1,381 cases of HAV were reported. Twenty-six percent of cases were missing a date of onset. Of all reported cases, 57% were endemic and 43% were travel cases. The mean number of cases reported each year in Ontario was 197. The annual mean number of endemic cases was 112.4 compared to travel cases with an annual mean of 84.9. The highest number of travel cases was in April and September. Overall, 57% of the cases were male. This overall sex distribution was similar between endemic and travel cases. Among endemic cases, the mean annual incidence of HAV was highest among males aged 20 to 29 and 30 to 39. Among female cases, the highest mean annual incidence was in the age group 70 to 79. The mean annual incidence rates for travel cases decreased with increasing age in both males and females. Male rates were higher than female rates for most age groups. The highest rates for both male and female were among children aged 0 to 9 years of age. There has been a substantial decrease in the number of endemic cases of HAV in Ontario, contributing an overall decrease in total reported cases. Since seasonal trends were mostly observed among travel cases, health units may observe an increase in HAV during the months of April and September.
Source: Canada Communicable Disease Report, Volume 32, No. 24, 15 December 2006

Malaria: Jamaica (Update)
The Public Health Agency of Canada continues to monitor an outbreak of P. falciparum malaria in Jamaica. As of 19 December, 91 cases have been confirmed; most cases have occurred in the areas of Delacree Park, Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens and Trench Town, all part of the greater corporate area specifically known as the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation. Two cases have been reported in Sydenham, in the adjacent province of St. Catherines. One case has been reported in a returning US traveller who travelled to the geographic regions in Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation where the local cases are being reported. Technical assistance is being provided by the Pan American Health Organization and the Caribbean Epidemiology Center.
Source: Travel Health Advisory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 19 December 2006

NOTE: The Infectious Diseases News Brief will not be published on December 29, 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.