Lyme disease chemoprophylaxis prescribing before and after pharmacist prescriptive authority in Nova Scotia.

Background: Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans through bites from infected species of ticks. Prophylaxis with a single dose of oral doxycycline following a bite from an infected tick reduces the risk of developing Lyme disease. Pharmacists in Nova Scotia (NS) were among the first in Canada to prescribe for this indication.

Summary of the National Advisory Committee on Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (NAC-STBBI) Statement: Recommendations on Screening for Syphilis in Non-Pregnant Adults and Adolescents.

Background: Sustained and significant increases in Canadian rates of infectious syphilis prompted the National Advisory Committee on Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (NAC-STBBI) to update the existing screening recommendation for non-pregnant adults and adolescents.

Methods: These guidelines were developed following the 2014 World Health Organization Handbook. The research question was: "What is the clinical utility of syphilis screening using risk-based versus population-wide approaches for adolescents and adults?" The evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Population immunity to varicella in Canada: A Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) study.

Introduction: The incidence of varicella in Canada has decreased by almost 99% since vaccination was introduced. However, variation in the timing and eligibility of vaccination programs across the country has resulted in some cohorts being under-vaccinated and therefore potentially susceptible to infection.

Methods: We used nationally representative specimens from the Biobank of Statistics Canada's Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) as well as residual specimens from Ontario collected between 2009-2014 to estimate population immunity across age-groups and geography, and identify any groups at increased risk of varicella infection.

Predicting major clinical events among Canadian adults with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection using the influenza severity scale.

We developed and validated the Influenza Severity Scale (ISS), a standardized risk assessment for influenza, to estimate and predict the probability of major clinical events in patients with laboratory-confirmed infection. Data from the Canadian Immunization Research Network's Serious Outcomes Surveillance Network (2011/2012-2018/2019 influenza seasons) enabled the selecting of all laboratory-confirmed influenza patients. A machine learning-based approach then identified variables, generated weighted scores, and evaluated model performance.

Retrospective validation of a rapid Lyme fluorescent immunoassay in differentiating Lyme arthritis from other musculoskeletal presentations in children in a Lyme-endemic region.

Unlabelled: Lyme arthritis can present similarly to other causes of joint pain and swelling including septic arthritis and other acute and chronic arthropathies of childhood. Septic arthritis, although rare, constitutes an orthopedic emergency and requires early surgical intervention to reduce the risk of permanent joint damage. Currently, results of standard serologic tests to diagnose Lyme disease take days to weeks, which is unhelpful in acute clinical decision-making.