A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in B.C. through laboratory testing at the BC Centre for Disease Control and awaiting confirmation at the National Microbiology Laboratory. The individual resides in Vancouver. Vancouver Coastal Health is conducting public health follow-up. More than 700 cases of monkeypox infection have...

In response to the ongoing toxic drug emergency, a new health alert system has been launched across Interior Health. “Across the province – in every community – we continue to see tragic deaths due to the toxic drug supply. The new alert system is an example of innovation and community collaboration to save lives in this...

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared on the medical unit at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. There are currently 15 cases connected to the outbreak. Additional infection control measures have been implemented on the unit including putting a pause on new admissions to the unit, restricting all non-essential visitors, and...

As more people head outdoors across Interior Health, it is likely they may encounter bats. Bats can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans. This PSA provides tips on how to avoid bat exposures and when to seek health advice. Bats and rabies In B.C., between four and eight per cent of bats that come into contact with...

In its second year of delivering on its surgical renewal commitment to patients, B.C. has exceeded its pre-pandemic volume of surgeries. “Through the dedicated efforts of everyone involved in delivering surgeries and the actions by British Columbians to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19 and ease pressures on our hospitals, ...

Toxic drugs have claimed the lives of more than 150 British Columbians for the 18th consecutive month, according to the latest preliminary data released by the BC Coroners Service. “It is encouraging to see a decrease in the number of lives lost in February and March relative to previous months, but we know the illicit drug...

Spring is here and the warmer weather means algae can start growing in your favorite lake and may form a bloom. Algae are a natural part of the aquatic ecosystems of lakes and algae blooms can occur throughout the Interior Health region. Blue-green algae or Cyanobacteria can produce several types of toxins that can be poisonous...

Thousands of people in B.C. will benefit from BC PharmaCare’s new and expanded coverage of medications for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, severe hypoglycemia, migraines, the treatment of low white blood cell levels, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and birth control. Effective April 12, 2022, vedolizumab (Entyvio),...

It’s not science fiction to recognize that the landscapes we encounter daily, and whatever is in them, can be at various points in a time continuum. Put another way, most of the things we see are stamped with information from years gone by, and the way they are stamped differs greatly. A wooden table was once a tree. So too,...

Preliminary data released by the BC Coroners Service reveals that the toxic drug supply has claimed the lives of 9,410 British Columbians since January 2016, and that at least 174 lives were lost in the month of February 2022. “As we approach the sixth anniversary of the declaration of the public-health emergency into...