Back to school!

Back to school

September is my New Year – more so than January. It’s the time of year when we advanced a grade, moved up another level, and started with new resolutions about doing homework or studying harder. As we advanced through the school system, we got to study new subjects and we met new people. When I became a parent, this was reinforced. My kids always seemed a bit older come the beginning of the new school year.

These days, back to school also means a concern about mumps in Canadian colleges and universities. In January of this year, there was an outbreak of mumps in the Maritimes. As the students returned home for the holidays, they took the virus with them and there have been several outbreaks across the country.

It turns out that college and university aged students and young adults are the most vulnerable to mumps these days. Those born before the 1970s were exposed to the virus itself and younger children received the double-dose MMR vaccine as part of the routine vaccinations, but that only started in the early 1990s. Since the illness is spread through saliva (sneezing, coughing, kissing, sharing cigarettes and glasses, for example), it can spread rapidly in a college or university environment. As well, you can have the virus – and spread it – for up to 7 days before you show any symptoms. There is a call now for students to get re-vaccinated to reduce their risk of contracting mumps. It’s estimated that the vaccine will prevent mumps in 90% of cases.

Why prevent the mumps? I survived them, as did many others my age, that’s true. But, like many seemingly benign childhood diseases, mumps can cause serious complications as well. They include:

-Orchitis (inflammation of the testicle(s))
-Male sterility
-Oophorotis (inflammation of the ovary/ies)
-Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)
-Meningitis (inflammation of the meninges)
-Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
-Hearing loss
-Miscarriage in pregnant women

Symptoms of mumps include:

-Swelling and pain in the salivary glands between the ear and the jaw
-Fever
-Headache
-Earache
-Sore throat
-Fatigue
-Aching joints
-Poor appetite

It’s a childhood disease that’s miserable to have as a child – and much more so to have as an adult. So, it’s time to discuss this with my kids, who are 20, 18 and just shy of 16 years old.

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Don't let Lyme Disease keep you inside

Lyme disease isn’t something we seem to pay much attention to here in Canada. But, according to an article in the Edmonton Sun, we should be. According to the article http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/06/14/4261225.html, there have been 19 cases of Lyme disease confirmed in Alberta since 1992.

The Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/lyme-fs_e.html has information about Lyme disease. It’s hard to tell how many cases of Lyme disease there actually have been in Canada because it’s not a reportable disease. The information on this site says that the highest risk of exposure to the ticks that cause Lyme disease is in southern and eastern Ontario, south-eastern Manitoba and Nova Scotia, and southern British Columbia, although there is still risk elsewhere.

Another thing to think about is if you are travelling in places in the United States that have Lyme disease. Find out before you travel if there is a higher incidence of Lyme disease where you are going to travel.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can include:
· rash at the site of the bit and elsewhere on the body
· rash that appears circular
· headache
· seizures
· fatigue
· chills and fevers
· muscle and joint pain
· swollen lymph glands

If Lyme disease isn’t diagnosed and progresses, more symptoms can occur, such as:
· migraines
· weakness and extreme fatigue
· stiff joints
· multiple rashes
· irregular heart beat

You can protect yourself from Lyme disease. Since it is caused by ticks transmitting it, preventing tick bites will prevent the transmission of the disease.

If you are going to be in a wooded area or in an area where there is a lot of tall grass, wear light coloured clothing, tuck your shirt into your pants and your pant legs into your socks. Don’t wear sandals, but rather closed shoes. You can spray your clothes with insect repellent but be sure that it contains DEET, the chemical that will keep ticks away.

When you have returned home, be sure to inspect yourself closely. The light-coloured clothing makes it easier for you to see the ticks. Be sure to check all parts of your body that weren’t covered, such as the back of your neck that was covered with hair.

Finding a tick doesn’t mean that you have caught Lyme disease, but it is important to remove the tick properly to prevent any exchange from the tick.

Do not crush or twist the tick. Using a pair of tweezers, pull the tick straight up off your skin. Clean the area well with soap and water.


There will always be something that can cause illness, but as long as we’re careful and know how to reduce the risk, there’s no reason why we can’t go outside and still have fun. Especially in most of Canada where our summers are so short. We need to be able to take advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather we can be blessed with. So, be careful but don’t give up on being outside.

Added note: check the news story about the mumps. The numbers of infected people is adding up.

Today's news:
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Childhood diseases making a comeback

Measles, mumps, German measles and chicken pox: all are childhood diseases that may seem to be benign, but that’s only because we haven’t really seen them – and their effects – for a long time.

When the vaccines for mumps, measles and German measles (rubella) first came out, the medical community had to convince the general population that it was safe and beneficial to have children vaccinated against these diseases. As time went on, it became standard and people just did it. Unfortunately, that became a bit of our problem because since so many children were vaccinated, the number of these cases dropped drastically. With the drastic drop, there’s a whole generation of people who had no idea what it was like to have these diseases and there was a whole generation of people who didn’t know anyone who died or suffered severe disability because of them. Many parents began to choose not to vaccinate.

Add to that the onset of autism and the fear of a link between the vaccines and autism, now we have kids who are open to developing these diseases not just as children, but as they grow into adulthood.

Childhood diseases are not benign. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an article from the mid 1990s, (Measles) one in 10 children who get the measles get ear infections, as many as one in 20 develop pneumonia and about 1 in every 1000 children develop encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. People who get encephalitis can have seizures, deafness or mental handicaps. Encephalitis can also cause death.

If a child is infected with mumps, about one out of every 10 develops meningitis (German Measles). While the children may not have the severe effects that measles and mumps can have, if a pregnant woman is exposed to German measles during the first trimester, there is a chance of miscarriage and as high as an 80% chance that the baby will be born either deaf or blind. They could also have other abnormalities with their heart or brain, and there could be brain damage.

Chicken pox is the most recent childhood disease to have a vaccine made available. This is particularly important because anyone who has had chicken pox can develop a painful condition later on in life called shingles, or herpes zoster. Having had shingles myself, I can assure you, it is no picnic.

While most children who get chicken pox come through relatively unscathed, save for some scars on the face or elsewhere, there are some who get significantly sicker. Although rare, encephalitis can occur, as can Reye’s syndrome and myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscles, pneumonia and even arthritis. Children with low immune defences can become quite ill, even die, if they get the chicken pox. Mothers who catch chicken pox while pregnant can deliver babies with congenital infection, meaning babies born with infection.

People who have shingles later on in life can develop a very painful condition called post-herpetic neuralgia. Seniors and people who are immunocompromised are most at risk of developing shingles. People who are vaccinated against chicken pox will not have the virus in their system and cannot develop shingles later on in life.

And now, in 2007, mumps is making the rounds in universities. A recent outbreak in a university in Canada has begun to spread as the students are making their way home for the summer. You can read this Globe and Mail article to learn more: Mumps outbreak moves from the Maritimes to Ontario.

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