Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Canada, 2012-2016.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae have acquired resistance to many antimicrobials, including third generation cephalosporins and azithromycin, which are the current gonococcal combination therapy recommended by the Canadian Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections. OBJECTIVE: To describe antimicrobial susceptibilities for N. gonorrhoeae circulating in Canada between 2012 and 2016. METHODS: Antimicrobial resistance profiles were determined using agar dilution of N. gonorrhoeae isolated in Canada 2012-2016 (n=10,167) following Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Data were analyzed by applying multidrug-resistant gonococci (MDR-GC) and extensively drug-resistant gonococci (XDR-GC) definitions. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2016, the proportion of MDR-GC increased from 6.2% to 8.9% and a total of 19 cases of XDR-GC were identified in Canada (0.1%, 19/18,768). The proportion of isolates with decreased susceptibility to cephalosporins declined between 2012 and 2016 from 5.9% to 2.0% while azithromycin resistance increased from 0.8% to 7.2% in the same period. CONCLUSION: While XDR-GC are currently rare in Canada, MDR-GC have increased over the last five years. Azithromycin resistance in N. gonorrhoeae is established and spreading in Canada, exceeding the 5% level at which the World Health Organization states an antimicrobial should be reviewed as an appropriate treatment. Continued surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibilities of N. gonorrhoeae is necessary to inform treatment guidelines and mitigate the impact of resistant gonorrhea.

Surveillance for Lyme disease in Canada, 2009 to 2012.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the first four years of national surveillance for Lyme disease in Canada from 2009 to 2012 and to conduct a preliminary comparison of presenting clinical manifestations in Canada and the United States. METHODS: The numbers and incidence of reported cases by province, month, year, age and sex were calculated. Logistic regression was used to examine trends over time. Acquisition locations were mapped and presenting clinical manifestations reported for jurisdictions where data was available. Variations by province, year, age and sex as well as presenting clinical symptoms were explored by logistic regression. An initial comparative analysis was made of presenting symptoms in Canada and the United States. RESULTS: The numbers of reported cases rose significantly from 144 in 2009 to 338 in 2012 (coefficient = 0.34, standard error = 0.07, P <0.05), mostly due to an increased incidence of infections acquired in Canada. More cases were classified as 'confirmed' (71.5%) than 'probable' (28.5%). Most cases occurred in locations where vector tick populations were known to be present. More men than women were affected (53.4% versus 46.6%), incidence was highest in adults aged 55 to 74 years and in children aged five to 14 years. Most cases (95%) were acquired from April to November. Of cases acquired in endemic areas, 39.7% presented with manifestations of early Lyme disease, while 60.3% had manifestations of disseminated Lyme disease. There were significant differences among age groups, sexes and provinces in the frequencies of reported clinical manifestations. The proportion of cases acquired in endemic areas presenting with early Lyme disease was lower than that reported in the US. CONCLUSION: Lyme disease incidence is increasing in Canada. Most cases are acquired where vector tick populations are spreading and this varies geographically within and among provinces. There is also variation in the frequency of age, season and presenting manifestations. The lower proportion of cases presenting with early Lyme disease in Canada compared with the US suggests lower awareness of early Lyme disease in Canada, but this requires further study.

Surveillance summary of hospitalized pediatric enterovirus D68 cases in Canada, September 2014.

BACKGROUND: Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been detected infrequently and has not been associated with severe disease in Canada. In the early fall of 2014, following an unusual case increase in the United States, clusters of EV-D68 among children and some adults manifesting severe symptoms were reported in Canada. OBJECTIVE: To provide an initial epidemiological summary of pediatric cases hospitalized with EV-D68 in Canada. METHODS: A time-limited surveillance pilot was conducted collecting information on pediatric cases (less than 18 years of age) hospitalized with EV-D68 between September 1 and 30, 2014. RESULTS: In total, 268 cases were reported from Ontario (n=210), Alberta (n=45), and British Columbia (n=13). Of the 268 reported cases, 64.9% (n=174) were male; the sex difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). Age was reported for 255 cases, with a mean age for males of 5.4 years and for females of 5.3 years. For cases with data available, 6.8% (18/266) were admitted to an intensive care unit. Of those where clinical illness was recorded, respiratory illness alone was present in 98.3% (227/231), neurologic illness alone was present in 0.4% (n=1), and both illnesses were present in 0.9% of cases (n=2); cases with neither respiratory nor neurologic illness were rare (n=1). Of the 90 cases with additional clinical information available, 43.3% were reported as having asthma. No deaths were reported among the 268 cases. CONCLUSION: The EV-D68 outbreak in Canada in September 2014 represents the beginning of a novel outbreak associated with severe illness in children. These findings provide the first epidemiological summary of severe cases of EV-D68 as an emergent respiratory pathogen in Canada. The continued investigation of this pathogen is necessary to build on these results and capture the full spectrum of associated illness.

Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with lettuce served at fast food chains in the Maritimes and Ontario, Canada, Dec 2012.

BACKGROUND: Identification and control of multi-jurisdictional foodborne illness outbreaks can be complex because of their multidisciplinary nature and the number of investigative partners involved. OBJECTIVE: To describe the multi-jurisdictional outbreak response to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Canada that highlights the importance of early notification and collaboration and the value of centralized interviewing. METHODS: Investigators from local, provincial and federal jurisdictions, using a national outbreak response protocol to clarify roles and responsibilities and facilitate collaboration, conducted a rapid investigation that included centralized re-interview of cases, descriptive methods, binomial probability, and traceback findings to identify the source of the outbreak. RESULTS: There were 31 laboratory confirmed cases identified in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario. Thirteen cases (42%) were hospitalized and one case (3%) developed hemolytic uremic syndrome; there were no deaths. Due to early notification a coordinated investigation was initiated before laboratory subtyping was available. Re-interview of cases identified 10 cases who had not initially reported exposure to the source of the outbreak. Less than one week after the Outbreak Investigation Coordinating Committee was formed, consumption of shredded lettuce from a fast food chain was identified as the likely source of the illnesses and the implicated importer/processor initiated a precautionary recall the same day. CONCLUSION: This outbreak investigation highlights the importance of early notification, prompt re-interviewing and collaboration to rapidly identify the source of an outbreak.

Epidemiological and virological characteristics of symptomatic acute hepatitis E in Greater Cairo, Egypt.

The aim of the study was to describe the characteristics of acute hepatitis E in Greater Cairo. Patients with acute hepatitis E were identified through a surveillance of acute hepatitis using the following definition: recent (<3 weeks) onset of fever or jaundice, alanine aminotransferase at least three times the upper limit of normal (uln), negative markers for other causes of viral hepatitis and detectable hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA. Comparison of the liver tests between acute hepatitis E and hepatitis A virus (HAV), case-control analysis (four sex-matched and age-matched (±1 year) HAV controls per case) to explore risk factors and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Of the 17 acute HEV patients identified between 2002 and 2007, 14 were male. Median age was 16 years (interquartile range 13-22). Compared with HAV (n = 68 sex-matched and ±1 year age-matched), HEV patients had higher bilirubin (mean (SD) 10.9 (5.7) uln versus 7.5 (4.4) uln, p 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase levels (38.6 (27.1) uln versus 18.3 (18.1) uln, p 0.02). Co-infection (hepatitis C virus RNA or hepatitis B surface (HBs) -antigen positive/IgM anti-hepatitis B core (HBc) anitgen negative) was diagnosed in four patients. In univariate matched analysis (17 cases, 68 matched controls), HEV cases were more likely to live in a rural area than HAV controls (matched OR 7.9; 95% CI 2.0-30.4). Of the 16 isolates confirmed as genotype 1, 15 belonged to the same cluster with 94-98.5% identity in the open-reading frame 2 region. Our findings documented the sporadic nature of HEV in Greater Cairo, characterized a large number of Egyptian HEV genotype 1 strains and identified living in a rural area as a potential risk factor for infection.