An outbreak of hepatitis C virus attributed to the use of multi-dose vials at a colonoscopy clinic, Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission has been epidemiologically linked to healthcare settings, particularly out-of-hospital settings such as endoscopy clinics and hemodialysis clinics. These have been largely attributed to lapses in infection prevention and control practices (IPAC).

Objective: To describe the public health response to an outbreak of HCV that was detected among patients of a colonoscopy clinic in Ontario, and to highlight the risks of using multi-dose vials and the need for improved IPAC practices in out-of-hospital settings.

Utilizing public health core competencies to share data effectively with community organizations to promote health equity.

Objectives: This article utilizes an adapted model for research transfer to highlight the important role of Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs) to share data more effectively with local community organizations to advance health equity.

Methods: A literature review related to public health data sharing with local community partners was conducted using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL databases and grey literature sources with 12 articles included for analysis. Six LPHAs distributed an online survey to 405 local community organizations to define their current data uses and needs.

Paediatric tuberculosis among the foreign-born: utility of the Canadian TB immigration medical surveillance programme.

Background: There are few data on the utility of screening paediatric immigrants for tuberculosis (TB) in low TB burden countries.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the Canadian immigration medical examination and TB Medical Surveillance (TBMS) for detecting paediatric TB disease.

Design: A 10-year population-based retrospective cohort study of foreign-born children (ages 0-10 years) and adolescents (ages 11-17 years) immigrating to Ontario, Canada, using linked immigration and public health databases.