Carolyn Brown

Zika virus outbreaks in Asia and South America

An emerging mosquito-borne virus with outbreaks in Southeast Asia and South America is raising concern because of a spike in microcephaly in newborns in affected areas. Zika virus is also being linked to a rise in Guillain-Barre syndrome. But more data are needed before these outcomes can be

Stem cell tourism poses risks

The evidence is mostly anecdoctal but researchers say an increasing number of Canadians are venturing to other countries for stem cell treatments that are expensive and unproven, probably ineffective and likely risky. So concerned are they about the rising incidence of stem cell tourism that they

Call for infection control to stem MERS

The World Health Organization (WHO) affirmed that the accelerating outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is not an international emergency, but delivered a strong message to Saudi Arabia to improve its “suboptimal” infection control and complete needed surveillance studies. The

Conflict emerges over value of handwashing

There’s no evidence that good hand hygiene practices prevent influenza transmission, according to a Council of Canadian Academies report commissioned by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). But N95 particulate respirator-type masks are a proven “final layer of protection” against even

Arsenic exposure linked to diabetes risk in Canada

Arsenic is associated with a significantly increased risk of type II diabetes and prediabetes, according a study based on cross-Canada biomonitoring data. This is the first time this emerging link, shown in studies from many parts of the world, has been tested here. The study, published in June in

Antibiotic discovery heralds new world of drugs

The discovery of a novel antibiotic is just the beginning of a wave of potential new drugs being literally unearthed through breakthroughs in molecular technology, say researchers in Canada and the United States. “We are now in a totally different universe,” says Slava Epstein, a professor of

Lyme law uses "junk science" says expert

A rare private member’s bill on a single health problem – Lyme disease – will be considered by a Senate committee before the end of this year and is poised to become federal law in Canada. But an expert physician has told senators and the health minister the bill is based on “junk science

MERS differs from SARS, say experts

A new coronavirus with a high death rate and human-to-human transmission. Cases emerging in travellers far from the disease’s origin, including one in Indiana. It sounds like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), but international researchers studying Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)

Mad cow update: risk now limited

Despite the sporadic discovery of new cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Canadian officials say a ban on the use of ruminant material in feed and other measures are working effectively to limit the risk to humans. So assured are experts that Canada has contained the mad cow disease

Will new isotope sources be ready in time

With the National Reactor Universal (NRU) in Chalk River, Ontario, ceasing production of medical isotopes in October 2016, Canada risks losing a major medical industry that has supplied 40%–50% of the world’s molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) for imaging and 85% of the world’s cobalt-60 for radiotherapy.