Syndromic Surveillance of Norovirus using Over-the-counter Sales of Medications Related to Gastrointestinal Illness.

Objective: To assess whether over-the-counter (OTC) sales of gastrointestinal illness (GI)-related medications are associated with temporal trends of reportable community viral, bacterial and parasitic infections.

Methods: The temporal patterns in weekly and seasonal sales of nonprescription products related to GI were compared with those of reportable viral, bacterial and parasitic infections in a Canadian province.

Results: Temporal patterns of OTC product sales and Norovirus activity were similar, both having highest activity in the winter months.

Efficacy of tilmicosin in the control of experimentally induced Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection in swine.

The efficacy of tilmicosin administered in the feed to control Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infections in pigs was evaluated through a multisite, multitrial study. For each of 6 trials, 48 pigs (stratified by weight and sex) were randomly assigned to 6 to 8 pens. Medicated feed containing tilmicosin (200 g/t) and unmedicated feed were randomly assigned at the pen level and were provided ad libitum from day -7 to trial termination (day 14).

Increased burden of illness associated with antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium infections.

This study investigated the burden of illness associated with 440 cases of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium infection identified in Canada between December 1999 and November 2000. We categorized case subjects' infections by definitive phage type 104 (DT104) and antimicrobial-resistance patterns. These variables were then investigated as risk factors for hospitalization.

Associations between indicators of livestock farming intensity and incidence of human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection.

The impact of livestock farming on the incidence of human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection was assessed by using several livestock density indicators (LDI) that were generated in a systematic approach. A total of 80 LDI were considered suitable proxy measures for livestock density. Multivariate Poisson regression identified several LDI as having a significant spatial association with the incidence of human STEC infection.

Canadian Perspectives on Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infection .

Infection with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) became nationally reportable in 1990. Between 1990 and 1994, the national incidence of reported infections ranged from 3 to 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.