Maternity health providers in B.C. lament shortage of qualified workers
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CBC
24 minutes ago
- CBC
2 bats test positive for rabies in Wellesley Township
Social Sharing Two bats found in Wellesley Township have tested positive for rabies. But officials with Region of Waterloo Public Health say it's "not unexpected." "Rabies is present in bat populations and the summer means increased bat activity," public health said in a post on Facebook. Public health notes the most common way for rabies to spread is through the bite of an infected animal. It can also be spread when saliva from an infected animal comes into contact with a scratch, open wound or a person's mouth, nose or eyes. "Rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease that attacks the nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans," public health says on its website. People can take precautions to avoid their pets or themselves being bitten, including: Don't touch sick or injured animals. Don't approach or touch wild or unfamiliar animals even if they seem friendly. Don't feed wild or stray animals. Keep bats out of your home. Assume any bat you see has rabies. Tell children to stay away from bats and tell them to tell you if they've had contact with a bat. Keep pets away from wild animals or other unfamiliar pets. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal or have any contact with a bat: If it's a pet, get the owner's contact information so public health can follow up with them. Immediately wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Call your family doctor, urgent care facility, or hospital emergency department to get advice on next steps. People should also report bites and scratches with a bat to public health.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Americans get more than half their calories from ultra-processed foods, CDC report says
Most Americans get more than half their calories from ultra-processed foods, those super-tasty, energy-dense foods typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report. Nutrition research has shown for years that ultra-processed foods make up a big chunk of the U.S. diet, especially for kids and teens. For the first time, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed those high levels of consumption, using dietary data collected from August 2021 to August 2023. The report comes amid growing scrutiny of such foods by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who blames them for causing chronic disease. 'We are poisoning ourselves and it's coming principally from these ultra-processed foods,' Kennedy told Fox News earlier this year. Overall, about 55 per cent of total calories consumed by Americans age one and older came from ultra-processed foods during that period, according to the report. For adults, ultra-processed foods made up about 53 per cent of total calories consumed, but for kids through age 18, it was nearly 62 per cent. The top sources included burgers and sandwiches, sweet baked goods, savoury snacks, pizza and sweetened drinks. Young children consumed fewer calories from ultra-processed foods than older kids, the report found. Adults 60 and older consumed fewer calories from those sources than younger adults. Low-income adults consumed more ultra-processed foods than those with higher incomes. The results were not surprising, said co-author Anne Williams, a CDC nutrition expert. What was surprising was that consumption of ultra-processed foods appeared to dip slightly over the past decade. Among adults, total calories from those sources fell from about 56 per cent in 2013-14 and from nearly 66 per cent for kids in 2017-18. Williams said she couldn't speculate about the reason for the decline or whether consumption of less processed foods increased. But Andrea Deierlein, a nutrition expert at New York University who was not involved in the research, suggested that there may be greater awareness of the potential harms of ultra-processed foods. 'People are trying, at least in some populations, to decrease their intakes of these foods,' she said. Concern over ultra-processed foods' health effects has been growing for years, but finding solutions has been difficult. Many studies have linked them to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, but they haven't been able to prove that the foods directly cause those chronic health problems. One small but influential study found that even when diets were matched for calories, sugar, fat, fibre and micronutrients, people consumed more calories and gained more weight when they ate ultra-processed foods than when they ate minimally processed foods. Research published this week in the journal Nature found that participants in a clinical trial lost twice as much weight when they ate minimally processed foods — such as pasta, chicken, fruits and vegetables — than ultra-processed foods, even those matched for nutrition components and considered healthy, such as ready-to-heat frozen meals, protein bars and shakes. Part of the problem is simply defining ultra-processed foods. The new CDC report used the most common definition based on the four-tier Nova system developed by Brazilian researchers that classifies foods according to the amount of processing they undergo. Such foods tend to be 'hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fibre and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats,' the CDC report said. U.S. health officials recently said there are concerns over whether current definitions 'accurately capture' the range of foods that may affect health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department recently issued a request for information to develop a new, uniform definition of ultra-processed foods for products in the U.S. food supply. In the meantime, Americans should try to reduce ultra-processed foods in their daily diets, Deierlein said. For instance, instead of instant oatmeal that may contain added sugar, sodium, artificial colors and preservatives, use plain oats sweetened with honey or maple syrup. Read food packages and nutrition information, she suggested. 'I do think that there are less-processed options available for many foods,' she said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Jonel Aleccia, The Associated Press
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Quebec municipalities close clay tennis courts over possible asbestos concerns
Several Montreal boroughs and Quebec municipalities have closed their clay tennis courts as a precautionary measure after an analysis found above-standard asbestos concentrations in the products used to maintain the courts. In Montreal, where the National Bank Women's Open is currently taking place, IGA Stadium management has also ordered the temporary closure of its clay courts. "Our clay courts were not being used for tennis during the tournament," Tennis Canada said in a statement. The move comes after the city of Saint-Sauveur, Que., found samples taken from clay produced by an American company had an asbestos concentration of at least one per cent — ten times the concentration allowed by Quebec standards. Samples taken by the municipality from an actual tennis court, however, had no traces of asbestos, said the city's executive director Jean-Philippe Gadbois. After reporting the results to public health, Environment Canada agents seized the city's stocks of clay, but did not order the closure of the fields. Opting for caution, Saint-Sauveur decided to close its clay courts on July 31. Tennis Québec's executive director Julie Vézina says there are no plans to close all clay courts across the province. The closures seen so far are preventative measures taken by some municipalities. "We're still awaiting a directive from the provincial government to determine whether this would be necessary," she said. So far, public health has not issued any advice regarding potential risks associated with clay courts. The municipalities that have followed Saint-Sauveur's lead include Repentigny, Prévost, Rosemère and some Montreal boroughs like Outremont, Saint-Léonard and LaSalle. The risk of contracting mesothelioma — a form of cancer linked to the inhalation of asbestos fibres — increases tenfold after even the slightest exposure to the fibres, says Norman King, epidemiologist and scientific advisor for the Quebec association for asbestos victims, known as AVAQ. He says the closures, however, are no cause for panic.
