Rare bacterial infection outbreak impacting vulnerable populations on Vancouver Island | 24CA News

A uncommon, extreme bacterial an infection is spreading by unhoused populations and individuals who use medicine on Vancouver Island, prompting the native well being authority to declare an outbreak.

Health officers say there’s been a pointy improve in Haemophilus Influenza Type B — often known as Hib — in Victoria, Nanaimo and Parksville within the final two months.

One individual has died from the an infection, Island Health says, and others have required hospitalization.

“We’ve actually had very, very few cases of Hib in the last decade because we have a very successful universal childhood vaccination program for this,” Island Health medical well being officer Dr. Dee Hoyano advised All Points West visitor host Rohit Joseph. 

In 1986, B.C. introduced in the Hib vaccine, and it has been included in the childhood immunization program ever since.

Typically, she stated, the area sees one case a yr. Since December 2021, there have been eight, six of which have been recognized up to now two months. 

Contact tracing has proven that these affected by the obvious outbreak embrace people who find themselves unhoused and those that use medicine. 

“Some folks in this group will not have had vaccine or are just a more vulnerable risk because of their underlying health conditions and living conditions,” Hoyano stated.

Hoyano says there isn’t a threat to most of the people at the moment.

According to the BCCDC, Hib is a “severe” situation that sometimes impacts kids beneath 5. On Vancouver Island, folks of their mid-20s to folks of their mid-70s have been contaminated, in response to the well being authority.

The an infection normally begins with a fever, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, headache and stiff neck. It could cause meningitis and septicemia. It is handled with antibiotics. 

“It’s always more difficult for someone who is unhoused to get medical treatment,” Grant McKenzie, the director of communications for Our Place Society, advised CHEK News.

“When they’re on the street, their survival is about where their next meal is coming from, where they’re gonna get a hot shower,” McKenzie stated. “Hib doesn’t really play a big part in their decision-making.”