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home / 世界杯决赛2022

tb outbreak in northern sask. linked to dozens of cases, two deaths

saskatchewan reports a preliminary total of 112 new tuberculosis infections in 2021, the most since at least 2010.

by zak vescera

feb 10 2022
read time 3 minute read
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a tuberculosis outbreak in saskatchewan’s far north has infected dozens, put hundreds at risk and is now linked to two deaths.
forty people in the fond du lac and black lake denesuline first nations tested positive for the disease since the outbreak was declared last fall, a quarter of them children.
nearly 500 people between the two fly-in communities have been identified as high-priority contacts, said dr. nnamdi ndubuka, illustrating just how far the disease has spread.
saskatchewan reported a preliminary total of 112 new tuberculosis infections in 2021, a recent high.
“the more we look for cases in a very proactive way, the more we will find cases,” said ndubuka, the northern inter-tribal health authority’s medical health officer.
fond du lac seen from the sky on a winter day in 2014.
fond du lac seen from the sky on a winter day in 2014. gord waldner / the starphoenix
ndubuka said the tuberculosis outbreak is “huge” even for saskatchewan’s far north, where the disease persists, due largely to cramped, inadequate housing and other socioeconomic factors that abet its spread.
“what we’re seeing now is really above and beyond the number of cases reported in many, many years,” ndubuka said.
the outbreak was first declared in october, when 13 cases were identified. that led to a testing and screening blitz as staff were deployed to the athabasca basin, roughly 800 kilometres north of saskatoon. those efforts have steadily unearthed more infections, supporting nitha’s theory the outbreak began months before it was reported and spread unnoticed.
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“the pandemic, i believe, is impacting the response in terms of how cases might have been missed in the beginning, which allowed for huge transmission in the community,” ndubuka said. “but for us, this is really a shared amount of work that has resulted from this very complex outbreak, not just because of the numbers but because we are responding to the outbreak in the midst of the pandemic.”
federal officials, who are responsible for health service delivery on first nations, say they’re aware of the outbreak and have sent medications and tests to help.
indigenous services canada’s chief medical officer of public health, dr. tom wong, said the agency sent rapid tests as well as rifapentine and isoniazid, oral medications used to treat tb.
“we have been supporting first nations partners in northern saskatchewan in order for them to be able to mobilize prevention, diagnostic and treatment modalities to best support the communities,” wong said.
saskatchewan’s ministry of health said a preliminary total of 112 new tuberculosis cases were identified in 2021, a figure it expects will actually increase because patients seen in late 2021 may not be diagnosed until early 2022.
some worry the pandemic siphoned health-care resources away from managing and monitoring other diseases, trends also seen with sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and hiv.
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initial tuberculosis signs can include night sweats, cough and a feeling of malaise, symptoms easily confused with common respiratory illnesses. it is entirely curable when treated in time, but can have lasting effects if left to spread for too long.
ndubuka said two people diagnosed with tuberculosis have since died, though he cautioned formal confirmation that confirm the disease was the cause of death is still pending.
he said nitha and its constituent tribal councils made an appeal to federal officials to improve housing conditions in the north.
“we do know that first nations housing continues to deteriorate over time, and we believe that this really needs urgent attention, so we are continuing to advocate for more investments in housing,” ndubuka said.
indigenous services minister patty hajdu said such investments are a priority for her department.
indigenous services minister patty hajdu said housing investments in first nations communities are a priority for her department.
indigenous services minister patty hajdu said housing investments in first nations communities are a priority for her department. adrian wyld/the canadian press/file
“i’m extremely preoccupied with this. every meeting i have … indigenous people across this country on first nations and in remote communities have spoken to me about the need for better housing, more sustainable housing, healthier housing,” she said.
“that connection between housing is clear and it’s critical that we do more.”

zvescera@postmedia.com
twitter.com/zakvescera

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