There Was A Four Year Long Typhoid Outbreak In Ottawa. Seven Cases Were Traced Back To An Asymptomatic

there was a four year long typhoid outbreak in ottawa. seven cases were traced back to an asymptomatic food handler, known in the outbreak report as case A. in september 2022, this outbreak was declared over. as of july 2024, no further infections in this cluster have been detected.

around 2%-5% of people who get infected with typhoid fever become chronic carriers that can infect other people for years. in this outbreak, case A worked in multiple grocery stores between 2018 and 2022.

and do you know what one of the main conclusions of the outbreak report was? do you know what the people who investigated this typhoid outbreak concluded?

they concluded that it is a health risk for food handlers to not have comprehensive benefits.

case A was forced out of work in food for 59 days without adequate compensation, despite the leave from work being mandated, and had to get a second job.

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The exclusion from work for typhoid fever treatment and clearance also caused financial hardship to the food handlers. The negative impacts of excluding infected persons from work duties is likely to be shared within social networks, thus discouraging further cases and contacts from being interviewed and tested. Recent full compensation for those on medically mandated leave, such as that made available due to COVID-19 illness, presents a potential mechanism to facilitate employment insurance for other notifiable infections requiring exclusion from work.

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Conclusion This outbreak report describes a rare outbreak of typhoid fever associated with chronic S. Typhi carriage in Canada and contributes to the literature to inform future investigations. An interdisciplinary investigation was key to discovering the transmission source. This outbreak demonstrates the risk of infection and challenges in investigation among marginalized workers without comprehensive benefits or stable working conditions. The investigation also adds to the evidence for expanding the analysis window for S. Typhi WGS cluster assignment.

it is dangerous for food handlers to not get paid leave. especially when that leave is mandatory.

this shit NEEDS to change. lives depend on it.