Image of ​Purple Day: twitter

#EpilepsyAwarenessDay, #PurpleDay, #Toronto, #Dr.ElizabethKerr, ​#​DrewWoodley,  #CanadianEpilepsyAlliance, #SickKidsHospital

Toronto, Apr 26 (Canadian-Media): Epilepsy Awareness in Canada, recognized as Purple Day, is officially being observed world wide including Canada, media reports said.

It was in the year 2008 that  Cassidy Megan founded Purple Day recognizing the needs of other children in her school suffering with epilepsy.

“I wanted people to know there are different types of seizures and that they shouldn’t be afraid. The more people learn about epilepsy, and with the right support and care, people like me can enjoy life, just like everyone else,” Megan said, GlobalNews reports said.

Cassidy Megan: Facebook

Epilepsy, defined as a wide range of seizure disorders of the central nervous system, specifically the brain is reported to be found 1 in 100 Canadians, that is more than 300,000 Canadians and 50 million people worldwide.  

Members of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance (CEA), In Ottawa, planned to hold a reception on Parliament Hill with 14-year old Megan.

CEA tweeted that needs of patients who use cannabis for medical purposes must remain at the heart of policy reform. 
​

Canadian Epilepsy Alliance: Facebook

Every year Epilepsy Toronto had been organizing an Annual Conferences that covers a variety of topics important to our clients and members. This year's conference "Beyond The Medical: Epilepsy Self-Management and Advocacy Epilepsy Toronto Conference and AGM 2017" would be held on Saturday May 13th, 2017  between 8:30am – 3:30pm YMCA- 20 Grosvenor Street Toronto.

Showing awareness and expressing concerns for epilepsy in the society members of parliament also rose to support its cause.

Conservative MP Patrick Brown said, “Those living with epilepsy face challenges, discrimination and often times a lower quality of life”, GlobalNews reports said.

NDP MP Mathew Kellway said “This is what’s in our hearts today, on this, the first official day for epilepsy awareness,” GlobalNews reports said.

Volunteers from Epilepsy Toronto were stationed in different areas including many hospitals in Toronto to distribute information cards and collect donations.

Union Station and downtown Toronto’s PATH system had been painted purple.

Drew Woodley, Director of Communications for Epilepsy Toronto said that it was important the message should be spread far and wide to raise better understanding about epilepsy.

​​An event was planned by Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Tuesday to encourage participation of public in a scavenger hunt and face painting.

In recognition of Purple Day SickKids Hospital in Toronto, which is also home to school for children with  intractable epilepsy, encouraged children to make t-shirts, decorations and artwork.

“For purple day, we really try to get the kids involved and know that it’s not a hidden secret and they should be involved,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kerr, Director of Epilepsy Classroom, who provides them with neuropsychological consultation.

 “The classroom is really established as a remedial program for kids with epilepsy who also have some learning issues,” Kerr said. “But the added piece is that we really want to empower them to live well with epilepsy and to build resilience so they can be the best selves they can be.”

III 
E.Coli Contamination: Wikipedia

#E.coli, #CanadianFoodInspectionAgency, #CFIA, #ArdentMills, #Quebec, #Ontario, #Saskatchewan, #Canada,                         #Class-actionLawsuit

Toronto, Apr 17 (Canadan Media): Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had added more brands and mixes of Robin Hood to its national recall list on April 12, over fears of E. coli contamination during an ongoing food safety investigation, media reports said.

This is the second time more brands of flour and flour products have been added to the national recall list by CFIA issued on April 12, CBCNews reports said.

Ardent Mills, which has locations in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan, is recalling various brands of flour and flour products due to possible E. coli O121 contamination, according to the news release.

Ardent Mills

​The recalled products include:

Creative Baker All Purpose Flour, 10 kg. Production code 6 300 SK with best before date of Oct. 26, 2017. UPC 6 300 SK 6 28622 
10180 8.  
Robin Hood Best for Blending Flour, 2.5 kg. Production code 6 307 548 with best before date of Feb. 2, 2018 is being recalled. UPC 0 59000 01534 7.
Robin Hood Best for Blending Flour, 2.5 kg. Production code 6 308 548 with best before date of Feb. 3, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01534 7.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Unbleached, 5 kg. Production code 6 300 548 with best before date of April 26, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01685 6.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Original, 5 kg. Production code 6 300 548 with best before date of April 26, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01654 2. 
Robin Hood Bread and Roll Mix Homestyle White, 1.36 kg. Production code 6 300 548 with best before date of Aug. 26, 2017. UPC 0 59000 00238 5.
Robin Hood Best for Blending Flour, 2.5 kg. Production code 6 298 548 with best before date of Jan. 24, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01534 7. 
Robin Hood Best for Blending Flour, 2.5 kg. Production code 6 299 548 with best before Jan. 25, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01534 7. 
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Unbleached, 5 kg. Production code 6 299 548 with best before date of April 25, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01685 6. 
Robin Hood Best for Bread Flour Homestyle White, 5 kg. Production code 6 299 548 with best before April 25, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01519 4. 
Robin Hood Bread and Roll Mix Homestyle White, 1.36 kg. Production code 6 299 548 with best before date of Aug. 25, 207. UPC 0 59000 00238 5.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Original, 5 kg. Production code of 6 301 548 with best before date of April 27, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01654 2. 
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Unbleached, 5 kg. Production code of 6 301 548 with best before date of April 27, 2018. UPC 0 59000 01685 6.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Original, 10 kg. Production code of 6 302 548 with best before date of April 28, 2017. UPC 0 59000 01652 8.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Original, 5 kg. Production code of 6 302 548 with best before date of April 28, 2017. UPC 0 59000 01654 2.
Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, Unbleached, 5 kg. Production code of 6 303 548 with best before date of April 28, 2017. UPC 0 59000 01685 6.

Consumers have been asked by CFIA not to consume the recalled products.

CFIA: Facebook

​​
A class-action lawsuit has been launched, CBCNews reports said. 
 
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

PHAC: Facebook

#Mumps, #Manitoba, #immunization, #FirstNations, #Winnipeg, #Canada, #vaccination,   #RichardRusk, #PublicHealthAgencyofCanada

Manitoba, Apr 11 (Canadian-Media): The spike in mumps outbreak had spread to Manitoba's north with 100 new cases and Richard Rusk, Provincial medical officer of health said the number in Manitoba could hit 600 before the disappearance of Mumps, media reports said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) stated that Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease that passes easily from person to person.

Dr Richard Rusk: Courtesy CBCNews

​​​The most common symptom of mumps, according to PHAC, is swelling of the glands that produce saliva which can make the cheek or neck bulge out on one or both sides. Sometimes the virus can cause more serious complications like hearing loss or swelling of other glands, including testicles.

The best way to prevent an infection, continued PHAC, is to be vaccinated with the mumps vaccine, which is given in combination with the measles and rubella vaccines as part of routine childhood vaccination programs.

If you develop symptoms of mumps, advised PHAC, particularly swelling of the cheeks or neck, you should consult your health care provider immediately by calling ahead to ensure that others are not  expose . The agency added that all vaccinations should be up to date.

Manitoba had seen a rise of almost 100 more cases in the last month.

It was the seventh month of the outbreak of Mumps in Manitoba. In other provinces, such as Alberta and Nova Scotia, the outbreak had lasted from seven to 12 months, Rusk said. 

As of April 7, there had been 290 confirmed cases of mumps since Sept. 1, 2016, the highest number in two decades. 

Although the number of confirmed cases, said Rusk, were rising in the North, the numbers in Winnipeg and rural regions continued to decrease. 

Rusk said he was encouraged that there were no new reports of complications such as deafness, encephalitis, meningitis and sterility, which he had seen in earlier the outbreak.

People were being reminded again and again to get immunized.

A meeting  scheduled to be held this Thursday would analyze the most recent data of how many people who got mumps had been vaccinated earlier.
 
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

​
water boiling: Wikipedia


#Kelowna, #BritishColumbia, #Canada, #South East Kelowna Irrigation District, #turbity

Kelowna, B.C., Apr 10 (Canadian-Media): More than 2,000 homes in Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada who received their water from the South East Kelowna Irrigation District were advised to boil their water for one minute due to turbidty, media reports said.

South East Kelowna Irrigation District attributed turbity in water to melting snow near intake and said advisory could last until mid-May, CBCNews reports said.

Residents have been asked to check to see where their water comes from as there were multiple water suppliers for the city. 

The residents who were affected were advised to boil the water for one minute for drinking, brushing teeth and rinsing ready-to-eat-foods.

The district officials are asking all public facilities in the area to post boil-water notices at sinks and drinking fountains accessible to the public.

"The length of time the boil water notice will be in effect is unknown at this time, but turbidity will likely trend lower towards the middle of May," said the district in a release, CBCNews reports said.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

​#TorontoPolice, #TP, #overdosage, #opioids, #TorontoPublicHealth, #TPH, #carfentanil, #Dr.BernardLeFoll, #Const.DavidHopkinson, #Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto 

Two of Toronto nightclubs were being scrutinized for the safety of the club goers after six suspected overdoses, including one death was reported, media reports said.

A public safety alert concerning the safety of nightclubs Rebel and Uniun had been issued by Toronto police (TP) after the incidents of death and overdosage there, CBCNews reports said.

A 24-year-old woman was rushed to hospital after collapsing at Uniun nightclub on Adelaide Street West, and later pronounced dead Saturday morning, according to Toronto police.

Police said another woman at the club also collapsed and was taken to hospital in serious condition.

In December 2016, said the police, a woman died of overdoses at an electronic dance music concert at the waterfront venue.

The owner of these two clubs, INK Entertainment had been fully cooperating with the police investigation. 

Overdose deaths In Toronto have increased by 73 percent over the past decade, said Toronto Public Health (TPH) and added it planned a wider distribution of life-saving naloxone kits in its new Overdose Action Plan.

Opioids like heroin and fentanyl, said TPH, are responsible to a large extent for the accidental deaths in Toronto as these can prove fatal even in small dosages.

The deadly opioid carfentanil was found in Richmond Hill earlier this year, said York Regional Police.

TP Const. David Hopkinson said toxicology reports would confirm what these overdose patients had actually taken on Friday night and added it was also unclear if all the cases were linked.

According to health officials recreational drug users were ignorant what they were taking as more and more opioids were being mixed with other drugs in Toronto.

"We are seeing almost at a daily basis now that, when we perform tests at our biological lab... individuals are getting exposed to drugs and they have no idea," said Dr. Bernard Le Foll, a clinician scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.

"A single pill can kill you," he said.
​
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

#Robin Hood brand flour, #E.coli,  #BritishColumbia, #B.C. #Alberta, #Saskatchewan, #Manitoba, #Canada, #CanadianFoodInspectionAgency

The original recall of Robin Hood brand flour issued last month by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on 10-kilogram bags of flour limited to B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba had been expanded to the entire country due to the E. coli contamination, media reports said.

Food inspection Agency officials asked Canadians to throw out any 10-kilogram bags of Robin Hood brand all-purpose flour with a best-before date of April 17, 2018 or return these to the store, from where these were purchased, for a refund, CBCNews reports said.

The recalled product's UPC is 0 59000 01652 8.

The recall was activated during an investigation into an outbreak of E. coli O121.

25 cases diagnosed with E. coli O121 revealed a matching genetic fingerprint in four provinces, 12 in B.C., four in Alberta, four in Saskatchewan and five in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Several of the reported patients were men with an average age of 24 and had been consuming Robin Hood flour.

​The illness started from dates ranging from November 2016 to late February.

Six people, who were hospitalized, were recovering.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include nausea, vomiting, mild to severe abdominal cramps and watery to bloody diarrhea.
 
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
 
Image of E. coli: Wikipedia