Health IQ: Brace yourself. Spring and summer viruses await

Viruses that lurk in the warmer months

As traces of flu season fade away across Canada, warmer weather emerges, bringing with it a different set of viral challenges.

One of the biggest virus culprits during the winter months is enteroviruses, explained Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

“Enteroviruses pop up as soon as we get into the summer,” Evans said. “These viruses are growing in water and as people go swimming in lakes and rivers and streams … this is where enteroviruses hang out.”

Because of this, waterborne transmission is a significant route by which enteroviruses can spread, especially during the summer months when people are more likely to engage in water-related activities.

Examples of enteroviruses include hand, foot and mouth disease, as well as rhinovirus, notorious for causing the pesky common cold. 

Norovirus, a highly contagious virus causing acute gastroenteritis, also thrives in warmer months, said Dr. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor in the faculty of information at the University of Toronto.

“It tends to be warmer weather because the environment is milder, and it can grow and proliferate,” he said.

Read more about other summer and spring viruses and the best way to protect yourself from getting sick.

‘Our eyes have to be wide open’ when it comes to bird flu

Canada should heighten its surveillance of bird flu, given its detection in milk in the United States and spread among dairy cows, experts warn.

“Our eyes have to be wide open and be confident in our judgment about whether the virus is here or not,” Matthew Miller, director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University, told Global News.

“If the virus is here, that would change the biosecurity recommendations around how individuals who work with cattle protect themselves and what measures we might put in place to prevent the further spread of the virus within cattle.”

Earlier in April, remnants of the H5N1 virus, or bird flu, were found in grocery store milk in the U.S., according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.

Miller said Canada needs to do systematic surveillance of cattle to make sure the situation here doesn’t mimic the one in the U.S. He emphasized that the virus’s ability to infect cattle has intensified the sense of urgency.

Read more about the escalating bird flu threat and what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said about the virus.

— THE TOPIC —

Federal dental plan kicks in — for some

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

The first phase of the Canadian Dental Care Plan was officially launched across the country on May 1. While 1.9 million seniors can now access the plan, many other Canadians must wait a bit longer.

Starting May 1, coverage became available for seniors aged 70 and older. Seniors aged 65 and above who meet the criteria can also now apply for the dental plan.

“Today makes a very important milestone for the Canadian dental care program, which will make dental care more accessible and affordable for Canadians,” Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said during a media conference on May 1. “These are seniors who will be able to better able to take care of themselves in order to receive treatment for long-neglected dental needs, such as new dentures, cleaning, examinations or fillings.”

To access the dental care program, you must be a Canadian resident, not have access to any dental insurance, have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000 and have filed your 2023 tax return.

Starting in June, children under the age of 18 and people with a valid disability tax credit certificate can apply. All remaining eligible Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 can apply online starting in 2025.

More than 6,500 oral health providers signed up to participate and are ready to provide services to CDCP patients, Health Canada stated in the press release on May 1.

If eligible individuals don’t have an existing oral health provider, they can use Sun Life’s CDCP Provider Search tool to locate a dentist, dental hygienist, denturist or dental specialist within their community.