Tuberculosis drug resistance in Canada: 2018.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a public health issue of global importance that poses a threat to TB control efforts. Canada conducts nationwide surveillance to monitor emerging drug resistance trends and document progress towards reaching the goal of TB elimination.

Objective: To describe TB drug resistance trends across Canada from 2008-2018, with a focus on 2018, by drug resistance, geographic and demographic patterns.

Seroprevalence of pandemic influenza H1N1 in Ontario from January 2009-May 2010.

Background: We designed a seroprevalence study using multiple testing assays and population sources to estimate the community seroprevalence of pH1N1/09 and risk factors for infection before the outbreak was recognized and throughout the pandemic to the end of 2009/10 influenza season.

Methods: Residual serum specimens from five time points (between 01/2009 and 05/2010) and samples from two time points from a prospectively recruited cohort were included. The distribution of risk factors was explored in multivariate adjusted analyses using logistic regression among the cohort.

Assessing secondary attack rates among household contacts at the beginning of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in Ontario, Canada, April-June 2009: a prospective, observational study.

Background: Understanding transmission dynamics of the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus in various exposure settings and determining whether transmissibility differed from seasonal influenza viruses was a priority for decision making on mitigation strategies at the beginning of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to estimate household secondary attack rates for pandemic influenza in a susceptible population where control measures had yet to be implemented.

Methods: All Ontario local health units were invited to participate; seven health units volunteered.

Influence of neighborhood deprivation, gender and ethno-racial origin on smoking behavior of Canadian youth.

Objective: Deprived neighborhoods play an important role in adult smoking behavior, but little research exists about youth on this topic. This study explored the relationship between deprivation and youth smoking to examine whether this association differs by gender and ethno-racial origin.

Methods: Individual-level data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000-2005) were combined with neighborhood-level data from the 2001 Canada Census to assess smoking among youth aged 12-18 (n = 15,615).