I think the top health story in Canada for 2012 was the illness caused by food contaminated by the bacterium E coli (see timeline). It began in September when US officials alerted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that beef from the Brooks plant run by Edmonton-based XL Foods had tested positive for E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. It was only afterwards that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency sent out its first alert to the public of possible E. coli contamination. As the list of possibly contaminated products grew, more and more cases were reported of people contracting E. coli. In late September, CFIA suspended XL's meat packing facility's operating license at Brooks. In October, union workers said the processing line at XL Foods Lakeside plant moves too quickly, forcing workers to take shortcuts. Then on October 11, the head of XL Foods Inc. apologized unequivocally to those who were sickened by eating tainted meat and vowed his company was "committed to making sure this doesn't happen again." By mid-November, the Brooks, Alberta plant was up and running again.
I think this story tops the list for two reasons. First, the story got a second kick in mid-December, when the Public Health Agency of Canada linked five cases of E. coli infection to Butcher's Choice brand Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers produced by Cardinal Meat Specialists in Brampton, Ontario and sold at Loblaws stores across Canada, as reported by the Toronto Star.. The five people infected in this outbreak have either recovered or are recovering. Second and more important, the E coli story reminds us that it's the things we take for granted - things like uncontaminated food, education and vaccines - that makes us healthy or not.
Next on my list I'm putting flu shots. It's flu season and everyone is seemingly rolling up their sleeves, right? Not so fast. I've picked flu shots because a surprising segment of the population seems dead set against them: health professionals. Last summer, British Columbia made it a policy that front-line health professionals must either get the flu shot or wear a surgical mask in patient areas. I came out in favor as did an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, but B.C.'s major health unions fought it, arguing it infringed on worker's rights and liberties. Some cited credible reports suggesting flu shots aren't all that effective. Earlier this month, the BC Health Ministry suspended the mandatory flu shot for one year. Instead, the government said it will work towards getting more health workers to roll up their sleeves voluntarily.
Time to take some credit for clairvoyance. Last year, I predicted that a shortage of prescription drugs would be a big story in 2012 and it certainly was. By the end of 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration was expressing concerns about quality control at the Sandoz plant in Quebec. That led the drug maker to close the plant for repairs early in 2012. A fire at the same location made the situation worse. The impact was huge. Turns out Sandoz is the sole supplier for a hundred and forty injection medications doctors depend on - including general anesthetics, antinausea drugs, and pain relievers. Eventually, the plant got back up and running.
But it's only a symptom of a much bigger problem. As many as two hundred and fifty drugs are in short supply -- including antibiotics, drugs for epilepsy, antidepressants and more. As reported last week, a man from Woodstock, Ontario has only a seven-day supply of the anti-seizure drug Celontin which is the only thing keeping him from having up to 200 seizures per day. The family has resorted to purchasing $1100 worth of expired drugs! Health Minister Leona Aglukkak opted for voluntary reporting of drug shortages. However, internal documents from Health Canada obtained by Canadian Press under Access to Information concluded that Canada should have mandatory reporting of drug shortages to prevent "bad behaviour" on the part of drug companies. This story is not going away.
For 2013, I'm keeping an eye on a new coronavirus that's been blamed for five deaths. SARS, a disease I saw first-hand as an ER physician ten years ago, is also a coronavirus. SARS - or severe acute respiratory syndrome - infected about eighty-five hundred people back in 2003 and about 700 died, including 44 in Toronto. This new coronavirus emerged in the Middle East, where a total of nine people have been infected, according to the World Health Organization. It causes symptoms that are similar to SARS. The virus is capable of infecting human, pig and bat cells. As reported earlier this month, a cluster of cases in Jordan that occurred in April may have spread from person to person. If that's the case, then the infection could spread quickly. That plus my first hand experience seeing what SARS was capable of causing are making me keep a close eye on it.
As White Coat Black Art goes on hiatus, I get busy working on my new book 'The Secret Language of Doctors'. You can still hear me each week dispensing medical advice as the House Doctor on CBC Radio One.
To each and every one of you, a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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