Health Matters: CFIA steps us avian influenza surveillance
I’m Katherine Ward with your top health headlines right now. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has toughened import requirements on US breeding cattle over the H5 N 1 bird flu virus. Import measures for cattle from the US will now include negative HPAI test results for lactating dairy cattle and testing of milk at the retail level to look for viral fragments of the virus, the first confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza. In the dairy herd on March 25th and the 2nd Human case in two years on April 1st have heightened concerns in the US, but the spread of the virus to animals and people, the CFIA says domestic milk and milk products remain safe to consume as Canadian milk must be pasteurized before sale. Preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide, and a new algorithm can screen for the condition. It evaluates maternal history, ultrasound data and tests for blood markers to better predict risk. It can be used in the first trimester when the high blood pressure condition is still preventable. The study’s author says almost all black women should take low dose aspirin during pregnancy and about 1/3 of women of other races. Black youth in Canada face multiple barriers in getting access to mental health services, and healthcare providers can make the situation more difficult, experts say. The president of the Black Physicians Association of Ontario says black youth experience the mental health system differently. She says many have experienced trauma which can’t impact the way they express themselves, including presenting as apathetic or speaking loudly, and that can lead to misdiagnosis of care. Providers don’t know what to look for. Springtime is here and runners are lacing up their sneakers. Experts say some research will prepare people well for taking up the sport or taking their running to the next level while avoiding injury. Tips from a physiotherapist and running coach include setting a clear goal, such as completing a run of a certain length or improving your time. Then you can come up with a weekly running and training regiment to get there. Being realistic about your time commitment and ability, experts advise starting slow and increasing distance gradually over a period of weeks. Those are the top health stories right now. For more, you can head to globalnews.ca. I’m Catherine Ward.