Alberta Health Services officials confirmed the ninth measles case in the Edmonton zone Wednesday afternoon. Several of the potential exposure locations are in southeast Edmonton.
Individuals who were in the following locations, on the dates and time frames noted, may have been exposed to measles:
Grey Nuns Hospital Emergency Department: 1100 Youville Drive N.W., Edmonton; May 5th – 7 p.m. until May 6 – 1:30 a.m.
Grey Nuns Hospital – Unit 33 (3rd floor): 1100 Youville Drive NW, Edmonton; May 7th – 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Dr. Bhambhani’s Medical Office: #209, 9252 – 34 Avenue, Edmonton; May 6th – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Dr. Bhambhani’s Medical Office: #209, 9252 – 34 Avenue, Edmonton; May 10th – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Dynalife Laboratory, Tawa Centre: 3011 – 66 Street, Edmonton; May 11th – 10:50 p.m. until May 12th – 1:10 p.m.
Dr. Bhambhani’s Medical Office: #209, 9252 – 34 Avenue, Edmonton; May 12th – 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
The unvaccinated pre-schooler became ill after being exposed to a previous case in the Edmonton zone.
Potential exposure sites for the eighth measles case confirmed Tuesday, include:
Red Rooster Convenience Store: 87 Avenue and 180 Street, Edmonton; May 6th – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Royal Bank Meadowlark: 157 Street and 87 Avenue, Edmonton; May 9th – 4:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
West Edmonton Mall: 8882 - 170 Street, Edmonton; May 10th – 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Walmart: 18521 Stony Plain Road, Edmonton; May 10th – 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Tim Hortons (in Walmart): 18521 Stony Plain Road, Edmonton; May 10th – 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Westgate Medicentre: 9540 163 Street, Edmonton; May 10th – 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Rexall Pharmacy: 163 Street and 96 Avenue, Edmonton; May 10th – 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Misericordia Community Hospital Emergency Department: 16940 87 Ave, Edmonton; May 11th – 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
AHS declared a measles outbreak in the Edmonton zone last month. Twenty-six measles cases have been confirmed in the province.
Officials are recommending infants between six months and less than 12 months of age receive an early additional dose of measles vaccine. Those who receive the additional early dose will still be required to receive the two routinely recommended doses of measles vaccine, administered at 12 months of age and between four and six years of age.
Children aged four and older, who are attending daycares, dayhomes and schools within the outbreak areas, and have not yet received their second dose of measles vaccine, are advised to receive it as soon as possible.
Individuals born in or after 1970 require two documented doses of measles vaccine to be protected.
Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose and/or red eyes, and a red, blotchy rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts. The rash begins behind the ears and on the face and spreads down the body and then to the arms and legs.
If you have symptoms of the measles, AHS advises you to stay home and call Health Link Alberta (1-866-408-5465) before visiting any health-care facility or provider.
The goal of a new Alberta Health Services campaign launched last week is to reduce the risk of cancer in the province by up to 50 per cent.
A new website about cancer prevention provides facts about choices that people can make to reduce their cancer risk, as well as information on preventive programs offered throughout the province.
“Research continues to show that a vast number of cancers can be prevented or caught at early, more treatable stages,” says Dr. Paul Grundy, senior vice president of AHS and senior medical director for CancerControl Alberta.
“Currently, an estimated 16,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year, and about one in two Albertans will develop cancer in their lifetimes,” adds Grundy. “If we can raise awareness to prevent even one Albertan from having to go through cancer treatment in the future, it will be worth it.”
Multiple factors influence an individual’s risk of developing cancer but many of those factors can be modified through lifestyle choices such as healthy eating, being active, limiting tobacco and alcohol intake, cancer screening and immunization.
The campaign is funded through Alberta’s Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund and was developed through consultation with AHS’ Strategic Clinical Network for cancer, a group that includes health care providers, researchers, policy-makers and the public.
Visit the website at: http://albertapreventscancer.ca
A molecule derived from omega-3 fatty acids mimics some of the effects of physical exercise on blood glucose regulation, says a new study by researchers at Université Laval.
In previous research, scientists have determined that omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce insulin resistance caused by a diet high in saturated fat.
They have since found that a bioactive lipid called protectin DX triggers the production of a protein in muscle cells that is released during physical exercise. That protein is called Interleukin 6 (IL-6).
In the bloodstream, IL-6 signals to the liver to reduce glucose production and acts directly on the muscles to increase glucose uptake.
In the study, protectin DX was shown to have very little effect on blood glucose control in genetically modified mice lacking the IL-6 gene. Contrarily, protectin DX was shown to dramatically improve responsiveness to insulin – the hormone which regulates blood sugar – in obese diabetic rats.
The study concluded that protectin DX appears to mimic the effect of physical exercise by triggering IL-6 secretion in the muscles and “its efficacy may be comparable with that of certain drugs currently prescribed to control glycemia,” says AndrĂ© Marette, lead investigator.
But it is not a substitute for physical activity, the study warns.
"Exercise has cardiovascular and other hormonal benefits that go well beyond its metabolic effects on the muscles," explains Marette.
The researchers have since filed a patent application for protectin DX and its therapeutic applications.
A study recently published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology says that people who are exposed to paint, glue or degreaser fumes at work may experience memory and thinking problems decades after being exposed.
The study involved more than 2,000 retirees from the French national utility company and assessed their lifetime exposure to chlorinated solvents (i.e. degreasers, paint removers), petroleum solvents (i.e. paint, paint thinner and varnish), and benzene (used to make plastics, rubber, dye and detergents).
Participants took eight memory and thinking skills tests an average of 10 years after they had retired. Fifty-nine percent showed impairment on one to three of the eight tests.
The study found that people with high, recent exposure to solvents were at greatest risk for memory and thinking deficits.
Those with high, recent exposure to chlorinated solvents were 65 percent more likely to have impaired scores on tests of memory and visual attention and task switching than those who were not exposed to solvents. The results remained the same after accounting for factors such as education level, age, smoking and alcohol consumption.
"Our findings are particularly important because exposure to solvents is very common, even in industrialized countries like the United States," said study author Erika Sabbath of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
“What was really striking was that we also saw some cognitive problems in those who had been highly exposed much longer ago, up to 50 years before testing. This suggests that time may not fully lessen the effect of solvent exposure on some memory and cognitive skills when lifetime exposure is high."
