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montreal public health

New Cases Of mpox Have Been Detected In Montreal

Just over a month after Quebec declared an end to its mpox outbreak, officials have confirmed two more cases in the Montreal area.

Montreal public health says the two positive test results date to March 17. Both individuals are men who have sex with men (MSM) "who acquired the disease through sexual contact while travelling in countries where local transmission is documented," a statement from public health reads.

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A 'Zombie Drug' That Can Cause Skin Ulcers Is On The Rise In Montreal

A drug that was originally used to sedate animals is on the rise in Montreal. Montreal Public Health says officials have detected a "significant exposure" to xylazine among people who use drugs. It can be especially dangerous when mixed with other substances.

In the U.S., xylazine "has been linked to an increasing number of overdose deaths nationwide," the country's National Institute on Drug Abuse (part of the National Institutes of Health, NIH) says.

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People Who Ate Food From This Montreal Bakery May Have Been Exposed To Hepatitis A

Recent customers of the bakery Boulangerie Baladi may have been exposed to Hepatitis A, Montreal public health said Wednesday.

Though it says the risk of infection is low, the agency is asking people who ate food bought at the Ahuntsic-Cartierville bakery (2485, rue de Salaberry) between August 17 and 30 to monitor themselves for symptoms ("lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, general malaise, fatigue and jaundice") and to report any to their doctor.

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montreal fire

Smoke From A Fire In Montréal-Est Engulfed The Area & Prompted A Public Health Warning

Public health is asking residents in the vicinity of Montréal-Est to close their windows and doors if they smell or see smoke from a five-alarm fire in an industrial building near the intersection of rue Sherbrooke and avenue Durocher.

The fire was "under control" as of Monday morning, public health said. But officials continued to recommend closing off access to the outdoors and setting air conditioners to "recirculation" mode. Residents with heart disease, the health authority said, should avoid outdoor physical activity.

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monkeypox

Here's Who's Eligible For The Monkeypox Vaccine & How They Can Get It In Montreal

As of June 13, Quebec has had a total of 132 monkeypox cases. With the aim of easing or even preventing symptoms in case of infection, officials have begun offering the monkeypox vaccine to specific groups, including men who have more than one male sexual partner.

The people who are eligible for the vaccine are, according to Montreal public health:

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monkeypox quebec

The First Monkeypox Cases In Canada Have Been Confirmed, Both Are In Quebec

The Public Health Agency (PHAC) announced Thursday night that following positive lab tests, it had confirmed the first monkeypox cases in Canada, both in Quebec. Earlier in the day, Montreal's public health director, Dr. Mylène Drouin, said there were 17 suspected cases in the Montreal area: 15 in the city itself, and two each on the South and North Shores.

On Friday morning, Montreal public health upped the suspected case count on Montreal Island, alone, to 18.

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monkeypox montreal

Officials Report 15 Suspected Monkeypox Cases In Montreal

Regional Public Health Director Dr. Mylène Drouin confirmed Thursday morning that there are 17 suspected monkeypox cases in the Montreal area: 15 in Montreal itself and one each on the south and north shores. She said all of these individuals are in isolation awaiting lab confirmation of infection.

A few of the suspected cases are possibly linked to a person with a confirmed case in Massachusetts who travelled to Canada, Dr. Geneviève Bergeron said at a Thursday press conference.

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monkeyvirus quebec

Several Possible Monkeypox Cases In Quebec Are Under Investigation By Health Officials

Health officials are looking into possible monkeypox cases in Quebec, though exactly how many is unclear. Radio-Canada has reported that 13 cases are under investigation in Montreal.

However, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) told MTL Blog Thursday morning that there were no confirmed cases in the province, though officials were looking into 10 cases of lesions — a symptom of the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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covid-19 quebec

Quebec's Rationale For A COVID-19 Curfew Appears To Have Been Flimsy At Best

After a bombshell report from Radio-Canada's Thomas Gerbet revealed officials were looking for a way to justify Quebec's second curfew on the very day it was announced, the Ministry of Health has made public an ethical opinion from Montreal public health (DRSP de Montréal) that argued against the measure. Quebec, of course, went ahead with the curfew anyway.

Gerbet had previously obtained the opinion through a document access request, but every line of text was completely blacked out. Following outcry, the ministry released the unredacted version.

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covid-19 montreal

Does 'Living With The Virus' Mean 'Back To Normal'? No, Says Montreal's Public Health Boss

It's official, folks — we've seen the worst of Omicron. Hospitalizations and deaths around the province have been in steady decline for the last few weeks and health officials are easing up on restrictions. On February 23, Dr. Mylène Drouin elaborated on what "living with the virus" is going to actually look like in the coming months.

First, there will be a lifting of certain health measures, such as the wearing of masks in elementary schools and in the workplace. While the decision to lift these measures has already been met with pushback, Drouin, Regional Director of Public Health, says that existing tools are sufficient for handling the current situation.

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2 Quebec Restaurants That Vowed To Reopen Against Public Health Rules Are Backing Down

Two Quebec restaurants that sparked a media frenzy when they announced they'd reopen despite public health rules are backing down ahead of the officially sanctioned reopening of dining rooms on January 31.

Earlier in January, Montreal Italian restaurant Kesté and Saguenay pâtisserie Vite des Péchés vowed they'd open their doors to customers seeking sit-down meals after enduring wave after wave of restrictions that they said had been damaging and, most recently, inconsistent.

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Public Health Is Investigating A Cluster Of Legionnaires' Disease Cases In Montreal

Montreal public health has launched an investigation after finding 10 cases of Legionnaires' disease in the city in the past 10 weeks, which led to two deaths.

Montreal's Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP) began receiving reports of Legionnaires' disease cases on June 30, according to a memo shared with MTL Blog.

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