Study of hospitalization for acute gastroenteritis in seven river watersheds with surplus of manure, 2000-2004

Une étude écologique ayant pour objectif d'évaluer l'association entre les indicateurs de l'intensité de l'élevage et le taux d'hospitalisation pour gastro-entérite aiguë (HGA) au Québec entre 2000 et 2004 a été effectuée. La régression de Poisson a été utilisée pour mesurer l'association. Le surplus de fumier était associé avec le taux d'HGA chez les enfants âgés de 5-9 ans (Le rapport des risques d'hospitalisation (RRH)=1,45; intervalle de confiance à 95% (IC)= 1,02-2,05). Une plus forte association a été observée pour les HGA d'origine animale chez les enfants âgés de 0-4 ans. L'association entre le taux d'HGA et le surplus de fumier variait selon le type de source d'eau. Une relation dose-réponse entre la densité animale, particulièrement, la densité de volailles, et les HGA d'origine animale a été observée. En conclusion, l'intensité d'élevage pourrait être associée aux gastro-entérites aiguës infantiles ayant mené à une hospitalisation en milieu agricole Québécois

The association between farming activities, precipitation, and the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness in rural municipalities of Quebec, Canada: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increasing livestock density and animal manure spreading, along with climate factors such as heavy rainfall, may increase the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). In this study we evaluated the association between farming activities, precipitation and AGI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional telephone survey of randomly selected residents (n = 7006) of 54 rural municipalities in Quebec, Canada, was conducted between April 2007 and April 2008. AGI symptoms and several risk factors were investigated using a phone questionnaire. We calculated the monthly prevalence of AGI, and used multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for several demographic and risk factors, to evaluate the associations between AGI and both intensive farming activities and cumulative weekly precipitation. Cumulative precipitation over each week, from the first to sixth week prior to the onset of AGI, was analyzed to account for both the delayed effect of precipitation on AGI, and the incubation period of causal pathogens. Cumulative precipitation was treated as a four-category variable: high (≥90^thpercentile), moderate (50^thto <90^thpercentile), low (10^thto <50^thpercentile), and very low (<10^thpercentile) precipitation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall monthly prevalence of AGI was 5.6% (95% CI 5.0%-6.1%), peaking in winter and spring, and in children 0-4 years old. Living in a territory with intensive farming was negatively associated with AGI: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.70 (95% CI 0.51-0.96). Compared to low precipitation periods, high precipitation periods in the fall (September, October, November) increased the risk of AGI three weeks later (OR = 2.20; 95% CI 1.09-4.44) while very low precipitation periods in the summer (June, July, August) increased the risk of AGI four weeks later (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.02-4.71). Further analysis supports the role of water source on the risk of AGI.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>AGI poses a significant burden in Quebec rural municipalities with a peak in winter. Intensive farming activities were found to be negatively associated with AGI. However, high and very low precipitation levels were positively associated with the occurrence of AGI, especially during summer and fall. Thus, preventive public health actions during such climate events may be warranted.</p

A multiprovincial retrospective analysis of the incidence of myocarditis or pericarditis after mRNA vaccination compared to the incidence after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Objective: To compare myocarditis/pericarditis risk after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination versus SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to assess if myocarditis/pericarditis risk varies by vaccine dosing interval. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used linked databases in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia between January 26, 2020, and September 9, 2021. We included individuals aged 12 or above who received an mRNA vaccine as the second dose or were SARS-CoV-2-positive by RT-PCR. The outcome was hospitalization/emergency department visit for myocarditis/pericarditis within 21 days of exposure. We calculated age- and sex-stratified incidence ratios (IRs) of myocarditis/pericarditis following mRNA vaccination versus SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also calculated myocarditis/pericarditis incidence by vaccine type, homologous/heterologous schedule, and dosing interval. We pooled province-specific estimates using meta-analysis. Results: Following 18,860,817 mRNA vaccinations and 860,335 SARS-CoV-2 infections, we observed 686 and 160 myocarditis/pericarditis cases, respectively. Myocarditis/pericarditis incidence was lower after vaccination than infection (IR [BNT162b2/SARS-CoV-2], 0.14; 95%CI, 0.07–0.29; IR [mRNA-1273/SARS-CoV-2], 0.28; 95%CI, 0.20–0.39). Within the vaccinated cohort, myocarditis/pericarditis incidence was lower with longer dosing intervals; IR (56 or more days/15–30 days) was 0.28 (95%CI, 0.19–0.41) for BNT162b2 and 0.26 (95%CI, 0.18–0.38) for mRNA-1273. Conclusion: Myocarditis/pericarditis risk was lower after mRNA vaccination than SARS-CoV-2 infection, and with longer intervals between primary vaccine doses