Summary of available surveillance data on hepatitis C virus infection from eight Arctic countries, 2012 to 2014.

We summarised available hepatitis C virus (HCV) surveillance data for 2012-14 from Arctic/sub-Arctic countries/regions. We sent a HCV data collection template by email to public health authorities in all jurisdictions. Population statistics obtained from census sources for each country were used to estimate rates of reported acute and chronic/undifferentiated HCV cases. Seven countries with Arctic regions (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and the United States, represented by the state of Alaska), including three Canadian territories and one province, as well as 11 Russian subnational Arctic regions, completed the data collection template. Data on acute HCV infection during 2014 was available from three Arctic countries and all Russian Arctic regions (rate range 0/100,000 population in Greenland, as well as Nenets and Chukotka Automous Okrugs (Russian subnational Arctic regions) to 3.7/100,000 in the Russian Republic of Komi). The rate of people with chronic/undifferentiated HCV infection in 2014 ranged from 0/100,000 in Greenland to 171.2/100,000 in Alaska. In most countries/regions, the majority of HCV-infected people were male and aged 19-64 years. Differences in surveillance methods preclude direct comparisons of HCV surveillance data between Arctic countries/regions. Our data can inform future efforts to develop standardised approaches to HCV surveillance in the Arctic countries/regions by identifying similarities/differences between the surveillance data collected.

Country food consumption in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Foodbook study 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND: This article presents a descriptive summary of the consumption of various country food (i.e. locally harvested plant and animal foods) products by residents of Yukon (YT), Northwest Territories (NT) and Nunavut (NU). Data were collected as part of the Foodbook study in 2014-2015. METHODS: The Foodbook study was conducted by telephone over a one-year period. Respondents were asked about consumption of a wide range of food products over the previous seven days. Residents of the territories were also asked about consumption of regionally-specific country food. Data were weighted to develop territorial estimates of consumption. Data on age, gender, location, income and education were also collected. RESULTS: The national response rate for the Foodbook survey was 19.9%. In total, 1,235 residents of the territories participated in the study (YT, n=402; NT, n=458; NU, n=375). Consumption of any country food during the previous seven days was reported by 77.5%, 60.7%, and 66.4% of participants in NU, NT and YT, respectively. CONCLUSION: Responses to country food questions asked alongside the main Foodbook questionnaire provide insight on country food consumption in YT, NT and NU.

Laboratory characterization of invasive Haemophilus influenzae isolates from Nunavut, Canada, 2000-2012.

BACKGROUND: With invasive Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) disease controlled by vaccination with conjugate Hib vaccines, there is concern that invasive disease due to non-serotype b strains may emerge. OBJECTIVE: This study characterized invasive H. influenzae (Hi) isolates from Nunavut, Canada, in the post-Hib vaccine era. METHODS: Invasive H. influenzae isolates were identified by conventional methods at local hospitals; and further characterized at the provincial and federal public health laboratories, including detection of serotype antigens and genes, multi-locus sequence typing and antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: Of the 89 invasive H. influenzae cases identified from 2000 to 2012, 71 case isolates were available for study. There were 43 serotype a (Hia), 12 Hib, 2 Hic, 1 Hid, 1 Hie, 2 Hif and 10 were non-typeable (NT). All 43 Hia were biotype II, sequence type (ST)-23. Three related STs were found among the Hib isolates: ST-95 (n=9), ST-635 (n=2) and ST-44 (n=1). Both Hif belonged to ST-124 and the 2 Hic were typed as ST-9. The remaining Hid (ST-1288) and Hie (ST-18) belonged to 2 separate clones. Of the 10 NT strains, 3 were typed as ST-23 and the remaining 7 isolates each belonged to a unique ST. Eight Hib and 1 NT-Hi were found to be resistant to ampicillin due to ß-lactamase production. No resistance to other antibiotics was detected. CONCLUSION: During the period of 2000-2012, Hia was the predominant serotype causing invasive disease in Nunavut. This presents a public health concern due to an emerging clone of Hia as a cause of invasive H. influenzae disease and the lack of published guidelines for the prophylaxis of contacts. The clonal nature of Hia could be the result of spread within an isolated population, and/or unique characteristics of this strain to cause invasive disease. Further study of Hia in other populations may provide important information on this emerging pathogen. No antibiotic resistance was detected among Hia isolates; a small proportion of Hib and NT-Hi isolates demonstrated resistance to ampicillin due to ß-lactamase production.